The roadless rule is on the chopping block, and the change could reshape how millions of acres of national forest are managed. On Aug. 18, 2026, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced that the U.S. Forest Service filed a proposed rule to rescind the entire 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. According to the USDA, this longstanding restriction has frustrated land managers and blocked wildfire risk reduction work across large swaths of America’s national forests.
For 25 years, the rule limited road construction and restricted active management inside inventoried roadless areas. Today those areas cover more than 44 million acres of the 193-million-acre National Forest System. Because the policy applied uniformly nationwide, it left little room for local conditions and needs. The rescission aims to shift decision-making back to the agency staff closest to the land.
Why the Roadless Rule Faces Rescission
Officials argue that the current approach has left forests dangerously overgrown. “Our forests can’t afford another decade of inaction,” Rollins said. “Across the country, we’ve watched preventable conditions – overgrown stands, insect outbreaks and disease – turn healthy landscapes into tinderboxes.”
She added that outdated restrictions have kept tens of millions of forested acres off-limits to treatments that improve forest health. Therefore, the proposal seeks to restore authority to local forest managers who know the land best. “It’s time to turn the page on the failed roadless rule and return our forests to health and productivity,” she said.
Deputy Secretary Stephen A. Vaden framed the move as long overdue. “This proposed rule is commonsense policy sought since the first Trump administration,” he said. Furthermore, he noted that the need for it has only grown clearer over time. Access, he argued, is the first step toward managing forests properly.
What the Change Means for Wildfire Risk
Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz pointed to sobering numbers. More than 40% of inventoried roadless areas, primarily in the West, carry high or very high wildfire hazard potential. Meanwhile, only 5% of those areas have received hazardous fuels reduction treatments since 2014.
Schultz also noted that more than a quarter of these lands—11.3 million acres—already sit near existing roads. “Active forest management is not an option. It’s essential,” he said. As a result, he believes acting now is the best way to reduce wildfire risk and protect nearby communities.
Importantly, the rescission removes national roadless designations but does not require timber cutting or road construction. Instead, it hands those calls to local national forest managers. Future decisions would rest on natural resource conditions and input from states, tribes, and communities.
State Leaders React to the Roadless Rule Proposal
Western governors welcomed the announcement. “For 25 years, the heavy thumb of Washington D.C. has hindered Montana’s ability to properly manage wildfire risk and road development on nearly 60 percent of Forest Service land across the Treasure State,” Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte said. He praised the decision for empowering states to manage federal lands with local communities in mind.
Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox echoed that sentiment. “Utahns love our forests, and loving these places means taking care of them,” he said. He added that rescinding the rule restores flexibility to make thoughtful, forest-by-forest decisions.
More than 95% of inventoried roadless areas fall within 10 Western states, including Alaska, Arizona, California, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. However, the proposed rule does not apply to national forests in Colorado and Idaho, because those lands already follow separate state-specific roadless regulations.
The proposal aligns with several executive orders aimed at cutting regulation and expanding timber production. Additionally, the agency will seek public comment on both the proposed rule and a draft environmental impact statement filed in the Federal Register.
What Comes Next for Farmers and Forest Communities
For growers, ranchers, and rural communities near these forests, the stakes are real. Healthier forests can mean less catastrophic fire, better watersheds, and stronger local economies. Consequently, the outcome of this proposal could touch livelihoods far beyond the tree line.
The public has a limited window to weigh in. Comments must be received by midnight on Sept. 21 through Regulations.gov. Finally, readers should watch how local forest plans evolve if the roadless rule rescission moves forward, because those decisions will shape wildfire risk for years to come. This story is based on a press release from the USDA Office of Communications.
To learn more, read the full press release from the USDA Office of Communications or submit public comments at Regulations.gov before midnight on Sept. 21.