Trump administration advances plan to rescind protections for nearly 45 million wild acres

MAINE MORNING STAR • August 18, 2026

The Trump administration will move ahead with plans to end more than 25 years of sweeping protections for tens of millions of wild, federally managed acres across the U.S. Brooke Rollins, head of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, on Tuesday filed a rule to rescind “in its entirety” the national 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which prohibits road construction, logging and mining on nearly 45 million acres managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The Roadless Rule prohibitions are intended to protect wildlife, watersheds and old-growth forests.