Federal Roadless Rule Repeal Proposed

The Trump administration is seeking to fully rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which restricts road construction across more than 44 million acres of federal forest land.

NAHB supports repealing the rule, citing its limits on state and local land management, responsible timber harvesting, and domestic lumber production. Rescission would remove the national roadless-area designation but would not require timber harvesting or road construction. Decisions would instead return to local forest managers.

The proposal could be significant for the home-building industry. The United States imports more than 25% of the softwood lumber used to build new homes, and NAHB views responsible access to federal forest lands as one step toward expanding domestic timber production.

More than 95% of inventoried roadless areas are located in 10 Western states, including Washington. The proposed rule would not apply to national forests in Colorado or Idaho, which have separate state-specific regulations.

The U.S. Forest Service will accept public comments on the proposed rule and draft environmental impact statement through midnight September 21. Members may review the available information and submit comments through Regulations.gov.

Related Links: NAHB article; USDA press release; Submit comments through Regulations.gov; Forest Service Roadless Areas webpage