U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins just announced that the Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) is moving ahead with rescinding the Democrat’s 2001 Roadless Rule that has locked up state control over the Tongass National Forest for decades.
“We are one step closer to common sense management of our national forest lands,” Rollins said on Aug. 27. “Today marks a critical step forward in President Trump’s commitment to restoring local decision-making to federal land managers to empower them to do what’s necessary to protect America’s forests and communities from devastating destruction from fires.”
Alaska’s U.S. Congressman Nick Begich praised the move that will open up the Tongass.
“Great news for Alaska and America’s forests,” he observed. “Rescinding the rule is about restoring our national forests to their proper and intended uses. I applaud this critical step toward restoring balance and protecting Alaska’s future.”
Rollins noted that the 25-year-old rule consists of burdensome, outdated and one-size-fits-all regulations that put people and livelihoods, while stifling economic growth in rural America.
“It is vital that we properly manage our federal lands to create healthy, resilient, and productive forests for generations to come,” he added. “We look forward to hearing directly from the people and communities we serve as we work together to implement productive and commonsense policy for forest land management.”
The U.S. Forest Service is now seeking public comment on its intention to develop an environmental impact statement for the proposed removal of the rule. The notice details potential effects on people and resources, and how national forests and grasslands are managed. The comment period starts Aug. 29 and runs through Sept. 19.
“For nearly 25 years, the Roadless Rule has frustrated land managers and served as a barrier to action – prohibiting road construction, which has limited wildfire suppression and active forest management,” U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz stated. “The forests we know today are not the same as the forests of 2001. They are dangerously overstocked and increasingly threatened by drought, mortality, insect-borne disease, and wildfire. It’s time to return land management decisions where they belong – with local Forest Service experts who best understand their forests and communities. We encourage participation in the upcoming public process. Your input will help to build a stronger, safer future for our forests and the communities that depend on these forests for jobs, recreation, and clean water.”
The proposed rescission would apply to about 45 million acres of the nearly 60 million acres that are currently locked up within the National Forest System.
The proposal aligns with President Trump’s Executive Order 14192, Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation to get rid of overcomplicated, burdensome barriers that hamper American business and innovation. It also supports Executive Order 14153, Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential which directs the Forest Service to exempt the Tongass National Forest from the 2001 Roadless Rule.
TAKING ACTION
— To find the public comment link, click here and type in “public comment period.”
7 Comments
The way to truly save the Tongass is to allow logging to thin the forest. If we don’t we will loose our timber to wind, disease and aging out.
Let’s bring back the industry, cutting, shipping, and milling.
Just a kid who grew up in grandpa’s logging camp.
These environmentalists finally got put out to pasture.
What do you think your homes are made of, duh WOOD.
Go back to living in caves or shut up.
During the public comment period for the original 2001 Roadless Rule, the U.S. Forest Service received a record-setting 1.6 million public comments. Approximately 95–97% of the comments were in favor of the rule, which was created to protect undeveloped national forest lands.The extensive public process also included more than 600 public hearings held across the country. At the time, this volume of public comments was the highest ever submitted for a single rule in the nation’s history.
Trump is destroying America and I’m pissed.
Please don’t piss your pants, It will be messy.
Public lands are “For the Benefit and Enjoyment of the People.” Making these places inaccessible is counterintuitive. Those who who don’t want roads, don’t want people to enjoy our own public lands. In fact, they were rather see an inaccessible forest burn than let the public appreciate visiting the Tongass.
Get out your car and walk.
Do you all remember when the last time you saw a forest with too much fuel on the ground and too many trees dying of beetle kill and no logging or roads to use your natural resources as adopted by law? Well, look no further than the Tongess and the Chugach! Remember the big fire on the Kenai that started in dead material and blew out of control? Remember when the Forest Service said they had to save the forest and created a back burn that really blew up and moved so fast they had no one to control it or crews that could manage and it went so fast toward Seward, the Forest Service was in a PANIC to put out the fire! But they had the Roadless Rule to save the forest and no way to put out the fires fast enough. They stopped logging but they couldn’t stop the dead fuel from collecting and endangering more than was planned. So, the time to take back your forest is now!! Go to the Forest Service web site and find the document asking for comments and give your willingness to own your own natural resource and mange it for all purposes. Do that today! Give your comments! The forest is owned by “the people” and its in the care of it’s people.