The Trump administration will formally propose on Friday its plan to end logging prohibitions on roadless areas of national forests, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said Wednesday.
In a news release, Rollins said the public will be given an opportunity to comment on the plan — which includes an environmental impact statement — through Sept. 19.
While officials have already stated they intend to rescind the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, first implemented in 2001, the Agriculture Department said public comments will be taken into account during development of the environmental impact statement.
The regulation covers 58.5 million acres of the forest system’s 193 million acres. The prohibition blocks road construction, a must for commercial logging, although exemptions can be issued in limited circumstances.
