Trump Admin Rolls Back Wildland Protections | Boise News

The Trump administration is poised to dismantle over 25 years of federal protections covering nearly 45 million acres of wild lands, opening the door to logging and development in critical ecosystems. Citing wildfire prevention as the reason, officials argue overgrown forests fuel fires — but experts counter that human-caused ignitions near roads are the real threat, and more roads could heighten risk. Despite a 2025 attempt that drew 600,000 public objections, no new public meetings have been held — unlike when the original rule was crafted with hundreds of meetings and 1.6 million comments. Most of these lands lie in 12 western states, with Alaska holding nearly a third, including the Tongass National Forest — the world’s largest temperate rainforest. Conservation groups vow to resist, having defended the rule for decades, as the public comment window closes September 21st. The fate of these vital landscapes now rests on public input — and a deeply divided national debate. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/ccd50631d83a20c2