Trump’s plan to end forest protections targets a ‘conservation success story’

Video by Capital Main This article was produced by Capital Main It is published here with permission The Trump administration plans to end restrictions on road construction logging and mining on almost million acres of protected citizens land in an attempt to unburden private industry from environmental regulations Conservationists say the move represents an existential threat to citizens lands and the a great number of means Americans interact with the natural world But it s welcome news to logging interests that stand to benefit U In June U S Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins broadcasted the agency would eliminate the Roadless Rule which has protected large swaths of National Forest System land across the country from roadbuilding and logging since calling the initiative outdated and overly restrictive The rule initially protected almost million acres of land but its scope was reduced to million acres following the implementation of state-specific rules in Colorado and Idaho While the timber industry has hailed the move environmental groups say it would harm ecosystems and increase fire jeopardy And they have called the move unsurprising given that Tom Schultz Trump s Forest Operation chief is a former timber industry lobbyist You should dependably be skeptical when the fox tells you the henhouse doesn t need to be locked anymore explained Sam Evans senior attorney and leader of the national forests and parks activity at the Southern Environmental Law Center He called the Roadless Rule the biggest conservation success story of his lifetime Evans added that the administration intends to maximize timber production potential advancement and minerals rise in these areas They want to do that to the maximum extent achievable and they want to take immediate action to do it Mount Wilson Red Box Road in the Angeles National Forest is seen from above Photo by Jeremy Lindenfeld Capital Main The federal establishment has for years prioritized timber production over the physical condition of national forests Evans mentioned but this latest step could damage residents lands beyond repair The physical effects of roads never go away not on a human time scale Evans announced What s at stake is the experience preponderance people think about when they think about America s citizens lands When you think about a backpacking trip or a trout fisherman standing in a river those are from roadless areas USDA spokesperson Larry Moore declined an interview request but commented in a written comment that rescinding the rule reflects the department s commitment to President Trump s executive actions to expand American timber production and unleash American potency Moore also cited improved wildfire mitigation as another motivation behind the deregulation writing roads improve access for wildland firefighting when timing is critical and lives are at peril But Riva Duncan a former fire chief for the Forest Provision announced revoking the rule would not necessarily improve wildfire mitigation That s because building new roads would only marginally improve response time in still predominantly inaccessible areas while potentially increasing the peril of human-caused wildfires Areas within meters of a road experience almost four times as several wildfire ignitions as roadless areas according to a overview published this year by the Wilderness Society And while the median wildfire in roadless areas is about larger than those within meters of a road fires near roads are more likely to be caused by human activity than those farther away Certain opponents of the administration s plan like Steve Ellis chair of the National Association of Forest Utility Retirees contend that axing the rule may not even achieve the administration s stated goal of increasing timber production at least in the short term He revealed negative territory forces and a reduced Forest Arrangement workforce will make selling timber from roadless areas more tough But according to Mike Albrecht president of the American Loggers Council getting rid of the Roadless Rule is a critical step in revitalizing the country s struggling timber industry even if it takes five or years The timber industry in America has been slowly going through a dismantling It s been diminished terrifically Albrecht declared We have just overprotected our forests A stronger timber management activity can go a long way toward solving that trouble Other timber industry groups echoed that sentiment We re supportive of rescinding the rule because the need for flexible proactive forest management has never been greater noted Nick Smith a spokesperson for the American Forest Reserve Council a timber industry commerce group It restores the ability of land managers to make science-based site-specific decisions Proactive forest management tactics include increased timber harvest forest thinning prescribed fire and road construction according to Smith Timber professionals say the downsides of eliminating the roadless rule won t be as bad as selected environmentalists fear Rescinding the rule does not mandate building roads or logging Smith stated Without the rule however various inhabitants lands advocates expect multiple at present protected areas will soon be scarred with roads and logged The timber industry contends it would be a long process to build roads in formerly protected areas but environmentalists claim it could start as soon as next year Eric Hanson walks through Angeles National Forest on the lookout for doves Photo by Jeremy Lindenfeld Capital Main For hunters like Eric Hanson who chairs the California chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers keeping areas roadless is critical to maintaining habitat for the several solutions Americans enjoy the natural world That is why he and other advocates are calling on individuals to tell their representatives why these places are crucial and to submit community comments on the USDA s proposal Our citizens lands no other country has something like we have where you can do so a large number of engagements from picnicking hiking bird watching fishing hunting riding and off-road vehicles Hanson stated If we don t have those spaces to do those things we lose a lot of what makes America s society land special Capital Main is an award-winning nonprofit publication that reports from California on the bulk pressing economic environmental and social issues of our time including economic inequality environment change fitness care threats to democracy hate and extremism and immigration Copyright Capital Main