Daniel Wolfram
This proposal comes as the United States has engaged in a trade war with Canada.
The Trump administration wants to scrap a 25-year-old ban on logging and road construction across 45 million acres of national forests.
Official paperwork filed this week targets the 2001 Roadless Rule, sparking nationwide debate.
Chopping down the forests
According to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, outdated restrictions have prevented the protection of local communities near the aforementioned forests.
Forest officials claim that over 40 percent of these areas face severe fire risks. “Active forest management is not an option,” Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz said in a statement. “It’s essential.”
Governors in Utah and Wyoming quickly backed the move.
Threat to forest protections
Environmental groups strongly disagree with the administration’s proposal. They argue that it will destroy ancient trees, harm wildlife habitats, and pollute clean drinking water.
Alex Craven, forest manager of the Sierra Club in California, called the current rule the main barrier stopping industrial development.
Legal experts also raised alarms about climate impact. Michael Burger of Columbia’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law warned that rescinding the rule would be a major loss for Americans and “another blow by this administration to the global climate.”
A new study in the journal Biological Conservation reached a similar conclusion. Researchers found that removing protections will increase fire hazards and cause lasting economic damage.
Proposal comes amid trade war
The current rule protects about 30% of the national forest land in the US from road construction and logging. Much of the land protected is in the greater California area, where recent wildfires have devastated local communities. Trump has criticized efforts during the fires multiple times.
This news also comes during trade talks between the US and Canada that have since broken down. Right now, Canada supplies the US with around 30% of its total lumber consumption. With the current trade war happening, it looks like that 30% of lumber to the US will come with a 50% tariff.
Members of the public have until September 21 to submit feedback on this new proposal to repeal the 2001 Roadless Rule. Court battles are almost guaranteed to follow.
