Trump plan would roll back Allegheny National Forest protections
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A hardwood tree canopy in the Allegheny National Forest. Photo: Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images
The Trump administration is pushing to eliminate the Roadless Rule in national forests, potentially opening a new swath of Allegheny National Forest to development.
Why it matters: The 2001 federal policy blocks new roads and timber harvesting across 45 million acres of American wilderness, a priority for conservationists and a point of contention in the timber industry.
The big picture: The rule keeps about 25,000 acres of Allegheny National Forest's half-million acres from logging and road construction, including places like Hearts Content Scenic Area and its old-growth forest.
- The national forest is already seeing increased timber production, in line with President Trump's call to boost domestic supply, an effort he says will lower building costs and support jobs.
Context: Allegheny National Forest is Pennsylvania's only national forest, spanning Elk, Forest, McKean and Warren counties in Northwestern Pennsylvania.
- More than half of the U.S. population is within a day's drive of the forest, per the National Forest Foundation.
- It's sometimes called the "Land of Many Uses": nearly stripped bare by logging in the early 20th century, it has balanced timber and extractive industries with recreation and wildlife management.
What they're saying: The U.S. Department of Agriculture says the change would give local Forest Service officials more control over forest health, easing restrictions on wildfire prevention like forest thinning and insect control.
- "We've watched preventable conditions — overgrown stands, insect outbreaks and disease — turn healthy landscapes into tinderboxes," Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said in a statement.
Yes, but: Many studies show roads are associated with increased wildfire risk, in part because they give people — who cause most wildfires — easier access to remote areas prone to burning.
- One report from Environment America found that fewer than 1% of wildfires in the lower 48 states have started in roadless areas since 2010.
Also: Remote areas in Allegheny National Forest include habitats for threatened and endangered species such as the American goshawk and Pennsylvania's state amphibian, the Eastern hellbender, said PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center's conservation advocate, Stephanie Wein.
- "Protecting these areas is far more important than building a new road or gaining a few extra wood products," she said.
What's next: The public has until Sept. 21 to weigh in. Submit comments here.