Trump administration moves to end protections for nearly 45 million acres of national forests

The Trump administration is proceeding to rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which previously prohibited logging, road building, and development on national forest lands. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced that the U.S. Forest Service filed a proposed rule to end protections for nearly 45 million acres of wilderness. This move aims to open these areas for development, a decision that has drawn significant criticism from environmentalists across the United States regarding the loss of protections.