The deadline to comment on the Trump Administration’s proposal to rescind the Roadless Rule — a law enacted in 2001 to protect 58 million acres of National Forest from logging and road-building — has been extended to October 6. The Trump administration’s proposed reasoning behind repealing the rule is that it would increase access to remote forest areas for wildfire prevention work, but environmentalists counter that it would do the opposite, as studies show wildfires are more likely to ignite on the side of a road. They say that repealing the roadless rule will lead to more fires, polluted waterways, erosion, and logging. The comment period’s extension — adding 15 days, but still forgoing public hearings — they argue, shows that the Administration is feeling the heat due to the unpopularity of the proposal.
Every federal lawmaker representing the Los Padres National Forest region — where 635,000 acres are at risk if the rule is repealed — has joined a bipartisan coalition of 164 members of Congress urging the administration to halt the repeal. That includes Rep. Salud Carbajal and senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff. Rescinding the rule, the letter states, “would undermine decades of progress and impose unnecessary environmental and fiscal costs.” It also calls for a longer public comment period, in-person public meetings, and full Tribal consultation.
Comments may be submitted about the proposed changes to the Roadless Rule at Regulations.gov.
