Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities
** USDA to open Roadless Rule repeal comment period Friday
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Thursday, August 28, 2025
Coconino National Forest; Source: USDA/Flickr ([link removed])
The Trump administration announced yesterday ([link removed]) that it is taking the next step in rescinding the 2001 Roadless Rule by opening a public comment period. The Roadless Rule currently protects nearly 60 million acres of national forest land.
The U.S. Forest Service will publish a notice ([link removed]) in the Federal Register on Friday seeking public comment on its intention to develop an environmental impact statement for the proposed rescission of the rule. The notice will detail ([link removed]) the reasons for rescinding the rule, the potential effects on people and resources, and how national forests and grasslands are managed.
The Roadless Rule was enacted by the Clinton administration ([link removed]) in 2001 after years of work and record-breaking input from the public. It established lasting protection ([link removed]) for specified areas within national forests by prohibiting road construction and logging which can destroy or disrupt habitats, increase erosion, and worsen sediment pollution in drinking water, among other impacts.
“Everyone who cares for America’s national parks and public lands should be deeply alarmed about attempts to dismantle the roadless rule,” said Beau Kiklis, ([link removed]) Associate Director of Energy and Landscape Conservation for the National Parks Conservation Association. “This is nothing short of another brazen attempt to sell off America’s public lands, by opening up these forest lands for industrial logging, roadbuilding, and other development.”
** Quick hits
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What was learned from the latest fight over public lands?
Outside ([link removed])
Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission approves purchase of northwest Montana conservation easement
Daily Montanan ([link removed])
New study raises questions about effectiveness of wolf hunting as a tool to help ranchers
NPR ([link removed])
Opinion: New Mexico’s rivers need their waters
Source New Mexico ([link removed])
Two oilfield workers sentenced for illegal dumping on federal land in southern Wyoming
WyoFile ([link removed])
Trump is blinding the government to methane pollution. But others are still watching
American Prospect ([link removed])
Grand Teton National Park launches war on poop
Jackson Hole News & Guide ([link removed])
The Colorado River is in trouble. Some groups want the government to step up
Associated Press ([link removed])
** Quote of the day
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” The Roadless Rule is one of the best ideas the U.S. Forest Service has ever had and repealing it is one of the worst... This move will literally pave the way for the timber industry to clearcut backcountry forests that house endangered wildlife and are source waters for important fisheries and communities.”
—Vera Smith, ([link removed]) national forests and public lands program director at Defenders of Wildlife
** Picture This
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@Interior ([link removed])
For outdoor enthusiasts, a good map is more than just a tool. It's the start of an adventure. The @USGS ([link removed]) has released a new series of topographic maps designed with outdoor lovers in mind. They're easier to use and perfect for planning your next trip.
[link removed] ([link removed])
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