Trump Administration Faces Legal Hurdles in Plan to Remove Roadless Rule Protecting National Forests

On August 18, 2026, the Trump administration announced a formal proposal to rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which protects more than 58 million acres of U. S. national forests. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins argued that new roads would aid wildfire suppression, but data show that roads actually increase fire risk by bringing human activity and sparks into forested areas. The Forest Service’s draft environmental impact statement confirms that wildfire frequency is significantly lower in roadless zones. Over 99 % of public comments opposed the change, and conservation groups—including the Alliance of Sovereign Tribes of Southeast Alaska—have pledged legal action. Courts have previously upheld the rule, setting a precedent that environmental defenders can stand in for the government when officials decline to do so. With a 30‑day comment period ending September 21, the administration’s move is likely to trigger a series of lawsuits that will be difficult to win.