The Trump administration has announced plans to rescind a rule that has protected old-growth forests in the US for 25 years. The Roadless Area Conservation Rule, known as the "roadless rule", was adopted in 2001 to limit development in roughly 45m acres of national forest.
If finalised, the rollback is expected to benefit companies that Tom Schultz, chief of the US Forest Service, previously represented as a timber industry lobbyist and executive, according to research by Public Citizen. Industry interests and Republican representatives have long lobbied for the rule's rescission, which would open up these lands to road construction, drilling, and logging.
Mr Schultz stated the move is "the best way to restore the balance, reduce wildfire risk, and secure the long-term health of our forests and neighboring communities". However, studies suggest it could put 400 threatened and endangered species at risk and imperil ecosystems.
Since Mr Schultz joined the Forest Service in February 2025, the American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) has spent over $210,000 advocating to expand harvesting in national forests. The Idaho Forest Group, where Mr Schultz was previously vice-president, also increased its lobbying spending in 2026 to support "efforts to advance forest management".