Trump Admin Targets Wilderness Protections | Philadelphia News

The Trump administration is poised to roll back a 25-year-old rule protecting 45 million acres of national forest wilderness, including 9 million in Alaska’s Tongass — the world’s largest intact temperate rainforest — opening it up for logging and road building. Citing improved forest health and wildfire prevention, the Forest Service claims this will boost economic development and firefighter access. But environmentalists and scientists warn it could devastate ecosystems, threaten water supplies, and ironically increase fire risk — since 85% of wildfires stem from human activity. Critics argue the real motive is boosting timber production, and while some experts agree forests need better management, most say roads and logging won’t solve the problem — especially for the most destructive fires that often start near existing infrastructure. Public comments are now open as the debate intensifies over conservation versus resource extraction. 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/46d7525fe77733b0