"The creation of the Roadless Rule - which prevents all road-building, logging, mining, and mineral extraction on 58 million acres of public lands - the was a hard-fought victory by environmentalists. Made an official law in January 2001 during the Clinton administration's last days, the incoming Bush administration temporarily delayed its implementation, but ultimately let it go into effect; in the years since, it's survived several thorny legal battles, and in 2019, an overwhelming 75 percent of surveyed Americans said they still supported it."
"When the Trump administration launched a public comment period about their proposed rollback of the rule - a move that officials claim will restore local decision-making over forest management and create economic growth through increased forest productivity - over 99 percent of the 183,000 comments submitted were in opposition, the Center for Western Priorities found. This is not the first time that the Trump administration has sought to undermine the public's overwhelming desire to protect public lands."
The Roadless Rule protected roughly 58–59 million acres by prohibiting road construction, logging, mining, and mineral extraction on designated public forest lands. The rule became law in January 2001, weathered legal challenges, and maintained widespread public support, with 75 percent approval in 2019. The Trump administration initiated actions to rescind the rule, arguing for local decision-making and increased forest productivity to spur economic growth. A public comment period drew overwhelming opposition, with over 99 percent of roughly 183,000 comments opposing the proposed rollback. Prior targeting of Alaska's Tongass was later reversed, while renewed nationwide efforts prompted further advocacy and pushback.
Read at Streetsblog
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