U.S. Forest Service rolls back Roadless Rule, endangering wildlife habitats

The U.S. Forest Service announced on Thursday that it will roll back the Roadless Rule, a federal policy that has protected 58 million acres of national forest from road construction since 2001. The move comes under the Trump administration, which is seeking to open up more forest land for timber and mining. The rule, which applied to the majority of federal lands in the western United States, had been a key tool for protecting wildlife corridors and water quality.

The Roadless Rule was created in 2001 after a lawsuit by environmental groups that challenged the Forest Service’s plans to clear large swaths of forest for logging. The rule was designed to keep roads out of the most remote and ecologically sensitive areas, preserving habitats for species such as the gray wolf, elk, and salmon.