The U.S. Forest Service formally began rescinding the 2001 Roadless Rule on Aug. 29.

More exactly, the agency is “publishing a notice seeking public comment on its intention to develop an environmental impact statement for the proposed rescission of the rule,” according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture statement . The draft EIS might be available later this winter, triggering another round of public review, followed by more rulemaking.

The original rule took almost four years to reach final publication in the Federal Register, involving more than 600 public hearings and 1.6 million comments. It was followed by more than a decade of lawsuits challenging various parts applying to the Lower 48 states. Alaska’s Tongass National Forest roadless status remained in court through 2025, al

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