Trump admin. moves to repeal Roadless Rule, putting 2 million acres of Washington forest at risk

About 2 million acres of national forest land in Washington could lose roadless protections as the Trump administration moves ahead with a plan to repeal the 25-year-old Roadless Rule.

Oregon has roughly another two million acres covered by the rule. Nationwide, nearly 45 million acres would be affected.

The rule limits road construction and logging in undeveloped areas of national forests.

Council says Roadless Rule limits wildfire response

The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) supports the repeal. Nick Smith with AFRC said the rule is outdated and gives forest managers too little flexibility to respond to wildfire, drought, and forest health problems.

“Healthy forests need access, and they need management,” Smith said. “And in order to manage our forests, you need forest roads.”

Smith said repeal would not automatically open roadless areas to logging or new roads. Individual projects would still require environmental review.

“What this rescission does is it simply removes a blanket, top-down prohibition on considering access,” Smith said.

Conservation group says more roads mean more fire, not less

Meanwhile, Washington Wild opposes the change. Executive Director Tom Uniack said roadless areas protect wildlife habitat, recreation, and drinking water supplies, including watersheds serving Port Townsend, Everett, and much of south Snohomish County.

“These protections are keeping roads out of intact forests that are contributing to that high water quality,” Uniack said.

He also disputed the argument that adding roads would reduce wildfire risk.

“Science tells us that if you build roads in these areas that don’t have them, you will get more ignitions,” Uniack said. “Most fires start near roads because most fires are started by people.”

The repeal effort has been in the works for more than a year. Washington Governor Bob Ferguson and Attorney General Nick Brown both opposed it in September 2025.

The Forest Service is taking public comment on the proposal through Sept. 21.