Breaking: USDA frees the Tongass by rescinding Roadless Rule

On Monday, US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced that the USDA is rescinding the 2001 Roadless Rule, which is the rule that shut down logging in Alaska.

In a move cheered by rural communities, foresters, and fire prevention experts across the West, Rollins made the announcement during a meeting of the Western Governors’ Association in New Mexico, lifted the rule that has hampered responsible forest management on nearly 59 million acres of national forest land.

Rollins called the rule “overly restrictive” and a major roadblock to the USDA Forest Service’s core mission of sustaining the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands.

Rollins said the decision is in line with President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14192, Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation, which directs federal agencies to cut red tape that stifles innovation, local governance, and economic growth.

Rollins noted that the roadless rule has hampered efforts to thin fire-prone landscapes, restricted local access to resources, and blocked job-creating projects in forestry and timber production. The impacts have been especially harsh in western states, where enormous swaths of forestland have been locked away from management tools like fire breaks, fuel removal, and road access.

In Alaska, the Roadless Rule locked up over 92% of the Tongass National Forest.

In Utah, nearly 60% of all Forest Service land was designated “roadless,” making proactive wildfire prevention efforts all but impossible across large portions of the state. In Montana, 58% of national forest acreage was restricted.

“This is another example of President Trump fulfilling his campaign promises to open up resources for responsible development. We thank the President and Secretary of Agriculture Rollins for continuing the process of rolling back unnecessary regulations that stifle economic activity and sends opportunity overseas where there are less environmental protections, such as we have here in Alaska. Thank you, President Trump and Secretary Rollins,” said Gov. Mike Dunleavy.

Congressman Nick Begich noted, “Today’s decision by the USDA to rescind the deeply flawed and outdated Roadless Rule is yet another a major victory for Alaska. Alaska’s forests are one of our state’s greatest natural assets and the “Roadless Rule” has long stifled responsible forest management, blocked access to critical resources, and halted economic opportunity
particularly in Alaska, where 92% of the Tongass National Forest was off-limits. The Roadless Rule was never about responsible conservation; it was about bureaucratic overreach that undermined the ability of local forest managers and communities to effectively manage their lands. I commend Secretary Rollins and President Trump for their leadership in advancing this commonsense reform.”

“Once again, President Trump is removing absurd obstacles to common sense management of our natural resources,” Rollins said. “This move opens a new era of consistency and sustainability for our nation’s forests.”

The original 2001 Roadless Rule prohibited road construction, reconstruction, and timber harvest in designated areas. But forestry. managers have long said it ignored the on-the-ground realities of forest management, especially in fire-prone areas. Today, 28 million acres of the land previously covered under the rule are categorized as high or very high risk of wildfire.

With the rule now rescinded, land managers will have more authority and flexibility to manage fire risk, improve access for emergency response, and support sustainable timber harvesting. Importantly, this shift re-centers decision-making with those who know the land best — local and regional Forest Service officials working directly with community stakeholders.

The change also promises a boost to rural economies, such as that in Southeast Alaska, that have long borne the brunt of Washington’s forest restrictions. Utah officials estimate that the Roadless Rule alone has caused a 25% decrease in forestry-sector development in their state.

The USDA’s decision marks a return to proactive land stewardship and local control, two principles that Western leaders and rural communities have championed for years.