On Wednesday, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the intent to develop an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the proposed rescission of the USDA Forest Service Roadless Rule. The Rule, which was finalized in 2001, prohibits road construction, reconstruction, and timber harvest on nearly 59 million acres of national forest system lands. This has been problematic in many areas, as it has limited access for fire suppression efforts and forest management projects, as well as timber harvest.
The Rule rescission will impact nearly 45 million acres nationwide, opening those areas up for road construction and increasing the ability for the USDA Forest Service to conduct projects on those lands. The unpublished notice, which will become official in the coming days, can be viewed on the Federal Register.
For more information, contact Staci Heaton, Senior Policy Advocate, at sheaton@rcrcnet.org.