Trump Administration Publishes Proposed Rule to Roll Back Roadless Protections, Opening Tongass and Other Forests to Development
The Trump administration has formally proposed a rule to gut the 2001 Roadless Rule, a landmark environmental regulation that protects nearly 58.5 million acres of national forest from road construction, logging, and mining. The proposal, published in the Federal Register, would eliminate protections for the Tongass National Forest in southeast Alaska and allow states to petition for exemptions elsewhere, triggering immediate backlash from conservation groups and scientists who warn it will fragment critical wildlife habitat, degrade water quality, and accelerate climate change.
23 Aug·3 min·2 sources