45 Million Acres Of National Forest Could Lose Protection. The Public Has Until October 6 to Weigh In

Abundant sunshine. High 79F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph..

Partly cloudy skies. Low 46F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.

Flathead National Forest in Montana. Photo credit: Your Forests Your Future / US Forest Service

The U.S. Department of Agriculture prepares to rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. If the proposal is finalized, it would eliminate a 25-year-old rule that protects some of the most undeveloped parts of America's national forests.

The agency originally set a September 21 deadline for public comments but recently extended the comment period by 15 days, through October 6.

"The Roadless Area Conservation Rule, enacted a generation ago, has proved to be one of our nation's most successful conservation measures; it protects important wildlife habitat for imperiled species, clean drinking water sources for millions of Americans, and world-class recreation opportunities," says Tim Preso, attorney at Earthjustice, a nonprofit public interest environmental law organization, in an email interview.

"The Trump administration falsely claims that rescinding the rule will help prevent wildfire, but the science shows the opposite is true. The public should see this rescind effort for what it is – yet another attack on public lands for the benefit of the timber industry – and call foul," Preso adds.

The Clinton administration adopted the Roadless Rule in 2001 to protect the ecological and social value of large, undeveloped areas within national forests, including wildlife habitat, clean water and recreation.

The rule originally limited new roads and timber harvesting on about 60 million acres,or roughly 30% of National Forest System lands. After Idaho and Colorado adopted their own state-specific rules, about 45 million acres remain under the federal rule.

On June 23, 2025, USDA Secretary Brooke L. Rollins announced plans to rescind the rule. More than a year later, on August 18, 2026, the Forest Service formally filed a proposal to rescind the Roadless Rule in full and released a draft environmental impact statement.