The Trump administration is moving ahead with rescinding the 2001 roadless rule for national forests.
Why it matters: The change would reshape land use on millions of acres of federal forestland, with implications for logging, wildfire management, conservation and state-federal disputes. It would also affect especially large swaths of the West, including Alaska's Tongass National Forest.
- On Aug. 18, 2026, the administration said it was proceeding with rescission of the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule.
- The rule currently restricts logging, road building and other development on inventoried roadless lands.
- USDA's proposal would rescind the rule nationwide, while keeping state-specific roadless rules for Idaho and Colorado.
- USDA said the proposal would affect nearly 45 million acres of inventoried roadless areas out of nearly 60 million acres inventoried overall.
The Trump administration is advancing a long-running effort to undo the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which has limited logging, road construction and other development on inventoried roadless lands across the National Forest System.
The Forest Service said its proposal would rescind the rule nationwide, including Alaska's Tongass National Forest, while leaving state-specific roadless rules in place for Idaho and Colorado. USDA said in its 2025 notice that the move would affect nearly 45 million acres of inventoried roadless areas, out of nearly 60 million acres inventoried overall.
The agency's Federal Register notice said more than 95 percent of inventoried roadless areas managed under the rule outside Colorado and Idaho are in ten Western states, with Alaska representing the largest share. It also said about 40 percent of lands within inventoried roadless areas have a high or very-high wildfire hazard potential, and roughly 23 percent are within the wildland-urban interface. Federal Register notice
Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz said the rule has "frustrated land managers" and acted "as a barrier to action" by limiting road construction and wildfire suppression. He said, "It's time to return land management decisions where they belong - with local Forest Service experts who best understand their forests and communities."
The USDA said the proposal aligns with President Trump's Executive Order 14192, Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation, aimed at removing barriers that hamper American business and innovation. The department's rulemaking docket listed the proposal stage for Aug. 10, 2026 under RIN 0596-AD66. USDA docket
By the numbers
- 25 years - age of the roadless rule, adopted in 2001
- Nearly 45 million acres - inventoried roadless areas that USDA said would be affected by rescission
- About 40% - share of inventoried roadless-area lands with high or very-high wildfire hazard potential
Yes, but: The rescission is still a proposal in the rulemaking process, which means public comment and final agency action still matter. Opponents are also likely to challenge the move in court.
What's next: USDA's rulemaking process would move through draft environmental review, public comment and a final rule under NEPA and APA procedures.