(Washington, DC) – The Trump administration says it plans to remove federal protections from over 44-million acres of national forest. On Tuesday, the U.S. Forest Service says it wants to rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule in its entirety. The rule established during the Clinton era prohibits logging and new road construction in undeveloped national forest lands. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins called the restrictions “outdated,” and said removing them would reduce the risk of wildfires.
Environmental groups say the rule is the only thing protecting the forests from industrial development.
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