SEEC Lands, Waters, and Nature Task Force Statement on Trump’s Attack on America’s National Forests

Washington, D.C. – Today, the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC) Lands, Waters, and Nature Task Force, led by Co-Chairs Reps. Don Beyer (VA-08), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), and Doris Matsui (CA-07), released the following statement in response to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) proposal to formally rescind the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which has guided the responsible management of pristine national forestland for the last 25 years.

“The U.S. Forest Service’s 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule has been a remarkable success story in protecting our nation’s forests. Healthy forests mean cleaner air to breathe, cleaner water to drink, and more abundant recreational opportunities that can be passed down to future generations. The American public submitted hundreds of thousands of public comments advocating for the protection of our roadless areas that support billions of dollars in outdoor recreation and millions of jobs in our economy. Yet despite a quarter of a century of successes in effective and popular conservation policy, the Trump Administration decided to move forward in gutting the Roadless Rule in its entirety and open up nearly 45 million acres of our national forests to road construction and development.

“This is both reckless and senseless, but it’s sadly par for the course for this Administration, which has prioritized pollution and extraction over conservation every chance they get.”