Trump administration advances plan to open national forests to development

This news is about public land policy, not home energy upgrades, but it may interest homeowners near national forests. The USDA is moving to rescind the Roadless Rule, a 25-year-old policy that has blocked road building and logging on nearly 45 million acres of national forest. The agency says the rule has left forests overgrown and more prone to wildfire, and that removing it will let states and local communities have more say in forest management. Montana's governor backed the move, saying it will help states manage federal land near their communities.

Forest scientists and conservation groups disagree, arguing that roadless areas actually have lower wildfire rates than areas near roads, since most wildfires are human-caused. They also warn that opening these lands to road building could harm wildlife, including grizzly bears, elk, and other species that rely on undisturbed habitat, and could affect water quality and backcountry recreation. Polling has shown strong public support for keeping the rule, and most public comments submitted last fall opposed rescinding it.

The formal proposal and an environmental review will be published August 20, with a public comment period running through September 21. Legal groups have said they may challenge the change in court if it goes forward. For now, nothing has changed on the ground, but the rule affects large areas of forest in the West and Alaska, including land near Yellowstone, so residents in those regions may want to watch how the process unfolds.