Honestly, I don't get it. Of all the topics and issues that this administration—or really any administration, both left and right—could pick to focus its efforts on, the last one I'd personally choose would be anything to do with public lands. It's the one issue that, despite our supposed differences in this country, unites everyone in their belief that public lands are ours, not the government's, and that disposing of them is a bad idea.
Yet, campaign promises to big-dollar donors have to be met. Supposedly. Backroom deals have to be honored. Allegedly. And it's required that we wholesale sell off of our public lands has to be done to balance the budget and provide affordable housing, while returning to "common sense management practices" to those tasked with managing these tracts.
What complete horseshit.
So we're back here again, folks, as despite the outpouring of Americans on both sides of the aisle standing up and telling the federal government "Not one acre" when legislation was proposed in the "Big, Beautiful Bill" to sell off our public lands, both the US Department of Agriculture and the US Department of the Interior are steaming headfirst into rescinding the 'Roadless Rule.' Again, despite the public telling them that's absolutely not what we want.
I'm sorry, but it's time to call your congressman again.
"We are one step closer to common sense management of our national forest lands. Today marks a critical step forward in President Trump’s commitment to restoring local decision-making to federal land managers to empower them to do what’s necessary to protect America’s forests and communities from devastating destruction from fires,” stated USDA Secretary Brooke L. Rollins, adding, "This administration is dedicated to removing burdensome, outdated, one-size-fits-all regulations that not only put people and livelihoods at risk but also stifle economic growth in rural America. It is vital that we properly manage our federal lands to create healthy, resilient, and productive forests for generations to come. We look forward to hearing directly from the people and communities we serve as we work together to implement productive and commonsense policy for forest land management.”
This, however, is just straight-up lying to the American people, as rescinding the 'Roadless Rule' is designed to open up public lands to mining, mineral and oil extraction, timber production, and little freakin' else. And if you look at Secretary Rollins' statement, the key statement you should focus on is the "removing burdensome, outdated, one-size-fits-all regulations that not only put people and livelihoods at risk but also stifle economic growth in rural America," portion, it gives up the true plan of getting rid of the rule.
They want to sell or lease it all. Plain and simple.
Now, you may be asking yourself; Why is RideApart covering rescinding the 'Roadless Rule' when it could create further off-road trails and paths? Doesn't the site and its writers support off-roading? And to answer that, yes, we do support off-roading, and we do support using our existing trail network, along with its expansion in certain areas. But rescinding the 'Roadless Rule' is purely a disingenuous cover-up in the sale of our public lands to greedy, 1% corporate oligarchs who are already wealthier beyond comprehension.
Likewise, that you think we'll get to use these new trails is laughable at best, and anyone supporting the recission of the rule is either lying to themselves, or lying to their audiences for more nefarious gains, cough, cough, Blue Ribbon Coalition.
Rollins' press release, which also cites the current Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz, flies in the face of reality, as the chief states, "For nearly 25 years, the Roadless Rule has frustrated land managers and served as a barrier to action – prohibiting road construction, which has limited wildfire suppression and active forest management. The forests we know today are not the same as the forests of 2001. They are dangerously overstocked and increasingly threatened by drought, mortality, insect-borne disease, and wildfire. It’s time to return land management decisions where they belong – with local Forest Service experts who best understand their forests and communities."
Our friends at Outdoor Life already debunked the claim that adding roads to existing roadless areas would help in fire suppression, as most (90%) of all wildfires occur within a mile of a forest road or trail, i.e. they're human-caused. And even with more diligent management practices of our forests, the fact that the world is drier and warmer, along with human habitation continuing to push toward forest boundaries, is going to lead to larger-scale wildfires with more destructive power against us, the humans that live there.
Moreover, the same administration that's saying they want to "return land management decisions where they belong, with local Forest Service experts," has fired, laid off, riffed, or otherwise sent packing these same managers they're now touting in their war against "government bureaucrats. So, again, they're lying to your face.
Now here's where I say that while the scuttlebutt is that despite asking for public comment at the end of the release by September 19th, they're going to push it through no matter what, public land users like myself and you have shown we can show up in masse and tell these chuckleheads to knock it the hell off. And with the right amount of public pressure, they absolutely will.
So I need you to call and write to your Congressional and House representatives, as well as your local representatives, and governors and demand they halt rescinding the 'Roadless Rule." We've beaten them before, and we can do it again.
