Trump’s plan to roll back forest protections puts popular NC public lands at risk | Opinion
A rule change by the Trump administration could remove protections that shield previous untouched public lands in North Carolina from logging and other harmful development.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is attempting to rescind what’s known as the “Roadless Rule,” a decades-old rule that prevents road construction, development and industrial activity like mining and logging in designated areas of wild forest. The purpose of the rule was to allow the country’s remaining undeveloped wilderness to remain undisturbed by major development.
Nearly 60 million acres are protected by the rule — just under a third of all national forest land in the country. That includes 172,000 acres in North Carolina, including in the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests to the west and the Croatan National Forest in the eastern part of the state.
Brooks Rollins, Trump’s agriculture secretary, has called the rule “outdated,” “absurd” and “overly restrictive” and claims that rescinding it would improve forest management and fire prevention. The rescission of the rule aligns with the Trump administration’s stated goal to increase timber production in national forests and other public lands.
But the rule safeguards thousands of miles of wilderness used for recreation by hikers, bikers, kayakers and other outdoor enthusiasts. It also protects endangered species and their habitats, keeps drinking water sources free from pollution and provides environmental benefits by allowing large areas of forest to function as carbon sinks.
While North Carolina does not contain as much affected land as some other states, repealing the rule would still have a significant impact. The Croatan National Forest, for example, is one of the last significant habitats for the longleaf pine. It’s an old-growth forest that’s home to endangered species like the red-cockaded woodpecker as well as rare carnivorous plants.
Waters from the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests feed into seven major river systems that provide drinking water to millions of people in four states. They are among the most visited areas in western North Carolina and some of the most visited national forests in the country. That tourism and recreation revenue is a pillar of the region’s economy. Parts of those forests not covered by the Roadless Rule are already at risk from a dramatic expansion of logging while trying to recover from damage incurred from Hurricane Helene.
Allowing roads to be built on previously untouched lands, let alone opening them up to industrial activity, would endanger all of that.
Contrary to the Trump administration’s claims, the rule as it exists doesn’t hamper wildfire prevention. It already permits fire suppression activities in protected areas. In fact, rescinding it may even make wildfires worse. Experts have pointed out that wildfires are predominantly caused by humans, and are therefore more likely to occur in forests touched by roads and other human development. While some wildfires may occur in roadless areas, there are better ways to address this issue that don’t involve opening the gates to logging and development.
Particularly concerning is the fact that the USDA is providing little opportunity for public feedback before moving forward with the reversal. The public has just three weeks to weigh in following the U.S. Forest Service’s official notice of its intent to begin undoing the rule. One more opportunity for comment will be given before the final rule is expected to be released in late 2026.
That’s a noticeable departure from the years-long process to develop the rule. At that time, the Forest Service spent 14 months on “the most extensive public involvement process in the history of federal rulemaking,” according to a report from The Wilderness Society. The rule received 1.6 million comments — the vast majority of which were positive — when it was developed. There were more than 600 public hearings held across the country. It showed a meaningful effort to engage with the public that, unfortunately, does not appear to be present now.
These untouched areas are far more valuable than the timber and other resources that Trump believes we can extract from them. The benefits they provide cannot be replicated. It’s something North Carolina — and the country — can’t afford to lose.
Paige Masten is deputy opinion editor and writer for McClatchy’s North Carolina opinion team.
This story was originally published September 4, 2025 at 12:48 PM with the headline "Trump’s plan to roll back forest protections puts popular NC public lands at risk | Opinion."
