{
  "id": 3335770,
  "title": "US proposes rescinding Roadless Rule protections for national forests",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/25/us-proposes-rescinding-roadless-rule-protections-for-national-forests",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-25T19:31:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Mongabay",
    "slug": "mongabay",
    "url": "https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/08/us-proposes-rescinding-roadless-rule-protections-for-national-forests/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On August 25, a National Day of Action was held to protest the U.S. government's plan to revoke the Roadless Rule, which prohibits road construction and industrial logging in over 23 million hectares (57 million acres) of national forest land. The 2001 Roadless Rule has safeguarded some of the most pristine public lands in the country, including Alaska's Tongass National Forest, the world's largest intact temperate rainforest and the ancestral territory of numerous Indigenous communities.\n\nYolanda Fulmer, a representative of the Tlingit Indigenous nation and an advocate with Women Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN), expressed deep concern over the potential rollback. She stated, \"A rollback on the Roadless Rule means cultural genocide for our people. Every part of our culture is intimately intertwined with the Tongass Forest, our traditional homelands.\"\n\nThe Tongass National Forest, spanning 6.8 million hectares (17 million acres), encompasses mountains, rivers, rugged coastlines, and ancient forests. Often referred to as \"America's Climate Forest,\" this expanse of land stores 20% of all carbon found in U.S. national forests and serves as habitat for approximately 400 species of wildlife, including bears, wolves, and moose. Moreover, it provides critical breeding grounds for roughly 40% of North American bird species.\n\nIf the Roadless Rule were to be rescinded, around 3.6 million hectares (9 million acres) of the Tongass might lose its protections against new road development. The impact of this decision would extend nationwide, potentially affecting 18 million hectares (45 million acres) of land within the national forest system. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees national forests through the U.S. Forest Service, the proposed changes could significantly alter the landscape of these vital ecosystems.",
  "summary": "Aug. 25 is a National Day of Action to support U.S. national parks and public lands. One focus of the event is the U.S. government’s intention to rescind a rule that bans road construction and industrial logging across more than 23 million hectares (57 million acres) of national forest land. The 2001 Roadless Rule, has […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}