LaMalfa, Zinke Praise USDA Move to Scrap Roadless Rule Blocking Forest Access

Washington, D.C.—Today, Congressman Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale) and Congressman Ryan Zinke (R-MT) released the following statement applauding the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s decision to rescind the Roadless Rule. This rule prevented road construction, reconstruction, and timber harvesting on almost 59 million acres of the National Forest System.

“I want to thank Secretary Rollins for rescinding the Roadless Rule, a Clinton-era midnight regulation which has done more harm than good in the West,” said Rep. LaMalfa. “This policy blocked responsible forest management, preventing thinning, logging, and the ability to build roads that are critical for wildfire response and public safety. Two decades on, our forests are more overgrown, wildfires are more catastrophic, and rural economies have fewer jobs. Repealing the Roadless Rule is a major step toward restoring common-sense forest management and giving local experts the ability to do their jobs.”

“The rescission of the outdated Roadless Rule is a victory for Montana, public lands, and forest management everywhere,” said Rep. Zinke. “As I’ve long maintained, one of the biggest obstacles to proper forest management and wildfire prevention has been unnecessary and overbearing regulations like this one. If you can’t build a road, you can’t fight fires, you can’t cut trees, and you can’t properly take care of our national heritage held in our public lands. I applaud the President and Secretary Rollins for their initiative to allow real and needed work to be done on our national forest land.”

The Roadless Rule tied the hands of land managers for years, especially in Western states where wildfire risk is high and economic opportunities are closely linked to working forests. Its repeal is a long-overdue correction that restores balance between conservation and the practical need to access, manage, and protect our forests.

Congressman Doug LaMalfa is Chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus and a lifelong farmer representing California’s First Congressional District, including Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama and Yuba Counties.