Trump Admin Targets Roadless Forest Rule | Portland News

The Trump administration is rolling back a 20-year-old rule that shielded millions of acres of national forests from logging and development, claiming it’s too restrictive and hinders wildfire prevention. Forest Service officials argue the move will give local managers flexibility to tackle overgrown forests and insect outbreaks, but environmentalists warn it threatens old-growth ecosystems, wildlife, and water quality. Scientists caution that climate change and fuel buildup—not roads or logging—are the real drivers of wildfires. While the agency says the change doesn’t mandate new logging or roads, critics fear it opens the door to them, especially with existing road maintenance backlogs. The public can weigh in until September 21st as environmental groups vow to fight this rollback at every turn. 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/24c8c7c1db6fbee4