WASHINGTON, August 27, 2025 – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has taken the next step in the rulemaking process for rescinding the 2001 Roadless Rule by opening a public comment period, which ends September 19, 2025.
The Roadless Rule was a pivotal rule advanced by environmentalists to create more areas that could be permanently protected, locking out productive uses on our federal lands. Areas considered “untouched by the hand of man” would qualify for “Wilderness” designations. It was a key piece environmentalists put in place back in 2001, to help them reach their 30×30 goal.
“We are one step closer to common sense management of our national forest lands. Today marks a critical step forward in President Trump’s commitment to restoring local decision-making to federal land managers to empower them to do what’s necessary to protect America’s forests and communities from devastating destruction from fires,” said Secretary Rollins.
“For nearly 25 years, the Roadless Rule has frustrated land managers and served as a barrier to action – prohibiting road construction, which has limited wildfire suppression and active forest management,” said Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz. “The forests we know today are not the same as the forests of 2001. They are dangerously overstocked and increasingly threatened by drought, mortality, insect-borne disease, and wildfire. It’s time to return land management decisions where they belong – with local Forest Service experts who best understand their forests and communities.”
Go here to read USDA’s Press Release.
