In a significant announcement for northeastern Utah and beyond, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced this week that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is rescinding the 2001 Roadless Rule. The USDA announcement stated that the 2001 Roadless Rule is an outdated administrative rule that goes against the mandate of the USDA Forest Service to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands. Rescinding this rule will remove prohibitions on road construction, reconstruction, and timber harvest on nearly 59 million acres of the National Forest System, allowing for fire prevention and responsible timber production. Utah alone estimates the roadless rule alone creates a 25% decrease in economic development in the forestry sector. Secretary Rollins said, “This move opens a new era of consistency and sustainability for our nation’s forests. It is abundantly clear that properly managing our forests preserves them from devastating fires and allows future generations of Americans to enjoy and reap the benefits of this great land.” According to the USDA announcement, this action aligns with President Trump’s Executive Order, Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation, to get rid of overcomplicated, burdensome barriers that hamper American business and innovation. It will also allow more decisions to be made at the local level, helping land managers make the best decisions to protect people, communities and resources based on their unique local conditions. Of the 58.5 million acres of areas covered under the 2001 Roadless Rule, 28 million acres are in areas at high or very high risk of wildfire. Rescinding this rule will allow this land to be managed at the local forest level, with more flexibility to take swift action to reduce wildfire risk and help protect surrounding communities.
