(Reuters) -The U.S. Department of Agriculture will rescind a Clinton-era policy that banned logging, roads and mining in undeveloped forests, the agency said on Monday.
The change will allow nearly 59 million acres of federal forest lands to be better managed for fire risk, the USDA said.
The move is aligned with President Donald Trump’s goal to lift environmental regulations that he says are roadblocks to industry.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the rescission of the 2001 Roadless Rule during an appearance at the Western Governor’s Association meeting in Santa Fe.
“After the repeal of this rule, we are going to go back to common-sense forest management to ensure our forests are here for generations to come,” Rollins said during a press briefing at the meeting.
It is not the first time Trump has sought to roll back the policy. In 2020, his administration exempted Alaska’s Tongass forest from the Roadless Rule, a move that was reversed by President Joe Biden in 2023.
(Reporting by Nichola Groom; Editing by Chris Reese)
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