Why Trump’s plan to rescind the Roadless Rule protecting national forests will struggle in court

The Roadless Rule is a 2001 federal regulation that protects over 58 million acres of U.S.

national forests from roadbuilding, commercial logging, and mineral extraction.

It was created under President Bill Clinton using the National Forest Management Act, which requires the U.S.

Forest Service to manage national forests sustainably.

The rule covers about 30% of national forest land, primarily in the western U.S.

and Alaska, and safeguards critical habitats for endangered species like grizzly bears, wolverines, and Pacific salmon.

It also protects over 80,000 miles of rivers and provides clean drinking water for 25 million Americans.

The rule allows limited activities like fire control and pest management but prioritizes conservation.

The Trump administration now proposes to rescind this rule to expand timber production, arguing it will help fight wildfires, despite evidence suggesting otherwise.