USDA Moves to Scrap Forest Roadless Rule
Is this a devastating blow to America's forests or a necessary step toward smarter wildfire management?
Above: A truck carrying old-growth trees in the Tongass National Forest, Alaska on July 2, 2021. Image credit: Salwan Georges/The Washington Post/Getty Images
The Spin
Anti-Trump narrative
The roadless rule is an absolutely essential piece of America's conservation strategy, and the wildfire prevention arguments are fatuous. Humans start most wildfires and most of them start near a road, with this move being a Trojan Horse meant to open up pristine land to logging and resource extraction. This is a huge blow to America's forests.
Pro-Trump narrative
For far too long, forest managers have been shackled by onerous federal regulations. Now, they can decide for themselves how best to deal with wildfires. The Forest Service chief endorses this measure, noting that areas without roads make up a large portion of fire-vulnerable land. Wildfire response and planning is now responsive to local realities.
