SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The Trump administration plans to rescind a nearly quarter-century-old rule that blocked logging on national forest lands. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said Monday that the 2001 roadless rule from the last days of the Clinton administration impeded road construction and timber production that would have reduced the risk of major wildfires. The USDA says the rule affects 30% of national forest lands nationwide. Environmental groups criticize the proposed change, calling it an attack on the air we breathe, water we drink, and habitat for wildlife.
Reporting by Morgan Lee And Becky Bohrer, Associated Press.
Banner image: Hoh rainforest, U.S.. Image by Rhett A. Butler/Mongabay
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