Environment & Climate
Proposed rollback of 2001 Roadless Rule targets protected public lands
A federal proposal to alter roadless conservation protections could affect designated wilderness and forest tracts, including Alaska's Tongass National Forest.
The short version
- The Trump administration proposed rolling back the 2001 Roadless Rule, which restricts road construction on designated public lands.
- The policy change would impact remaining roadless areas, including old-growth coastal habitats in southeast Alaska's Tongass National Forest.
- Inventoried roadless and wilderness areas currently make up approximately 5 percent of the lower 48 states.
- The full scope, implementation timeline, and legal outcomes of the proposed rollback remain to be determined.
Key facts
- The Trump administration put forward a proposal to roll back the 2001 Roadless Rule.[Ars Technica]
- The contiguous United States contains over 4.2 million miles of public roads, leaving roughly 5 percent of land classified as inventoried roadless or wilderness area.[Ars Technica]
- Affected areas under the proposal include Alaska's Tongass National Forest, an old-growth temperate rainforest supporting wildlife such as eagles, bears, and salmon.[Ars Technica]
What remains uncertain
- Specific administrative timelines, regulatory details, and the full geographic extent of the proposed rule revisions were not detailed in the report.[Ars Technica]