Roadless Rule being rescinded by Trump administration — again
- Mark Sabbatini
- Jun 24
- 3 min read
USDA announcement Monday marks latest on-again, off-again action by presidents dating back to 2001
This story as been updated to note a press release Monday with a headline that begins "Secretary Rollins Rescinds Roadless Rule" dues not actually reflect an official rollback of the rule. Rather, the U.S. Agriculture Department is undertaking the rollback process.
The Tongass Roadless Rule is being switched to "off" again.
Rescinding of the 2001 Roadless Rule, initiated by President Donald Trump via an executive order signed on the first day of his second term Jan. 20, was announced Monday by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins. It is the latest in a cycle of on-again, off-again actions affecting the rule that has been favored by Democratic presidents and spurned by Republican ones.
Rollins, announcing Monday’s rescinding at a meeting of the Western Governors’ Association in New Mexico, said the rule is overly restrictive and affects 30% of National Forest System lands, including 92% of the Tongass National Forest.
"Once again, President Trump is removing absurd obstacles to common sense management of our natural resources by rescinding the overly restrictive roadless rule,” she said in a prepared statement.
While the headline of an Agriculture Department press release declares "Secretary Rollins Rescinds Roadless Rule, Eliminating Impediment to Responsible Forest Management," the department actually is initiating a rollback process that is likely to face court challenges and other opposition.
Denouncement of the rescinding, as has happened in past years, came quickly from conservation groups and Democratic lawmakers.
“Our forests are just now healing from the extensive clear-cut logging in the past,” said Joel Jackson, president of the Organized Village of Kake, in a joint statement of Southeast and other leaders issued Monday by Earthjustice. “Number one is food security, and our deer and moose are rebounding. The remaining old growth timber is so important for providing shelter, the berries, and our medicines. It provides shade for our streams to keep them cool so our salmon can return year after year. We are the people of the forest and salmon people. Salmon has sustained us for thousands of years.”
Rollins stated rescinding the Roadless Rule removes prohibitions on road construction, reconstruction and timber harvest on nearly 59 million acres of the National Forest System. Among leaders in Alaska supporting the decision is Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy, a strong advocate of Trump’s agenda that includes aggressive resource development in the state.
"This is another example of President Trump fulfilling his campaign promise to open up resources for responsible development," Dunleavy stated in an official social media post. "Thank you @POTUS and Secretary Rollins for continuing to roll back unnecessary regulations that stifle economic activity and send opportunity overseas."
The Forest Service website as of Monday afternoon states "The 2001 Roadless Rule establishes prohibitions on road construction, road reconstruction, and timber harvesting on 58.5 million acres of inventoried roadless areas on National Forest System lands. The intent of the 2001 Roadless Rule is to provide lasting protection for inventoried roadless areas within the National Forest System in the context of multiple-use management."
It has since gone through extensive litigation, beginning shortly after it took effect when then-President George W. Bush scaled back some restrictions. A challenge by the state of Alaska based on the policy’s impacts for the Tongass National Forest, was defeated in U.S. District Court in 2013. Trump during his first term removed most of the Tongass roadless area designation in October 2020, only for successor Joe Biden to restore the rule in January of 2023.
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.
