Trump rollback of US forest protections could accelerate extinction of 400 endangered species
Decision to rescind ‘roadless rule’ opens more than 45m acres of national forests to roads, drilling and logging
TL;DR
- The Trump administration rescinded the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, impacting 7.4 million acres of endangered-species habitat.
- Over 45 million acres of national forests are now open to roads, drilling, and logging.
- At-risk species include grizzly bears, gray wolves, wild salmon, Mexican spotted owls, and eastern hellbenders.
- The decision threatens watersheds providing drinking water to major cities like Atlanta, Phoenix, and Albuquerque.
- The rollback is part of a series of environmental deregulation measures by the Trump administration.