A 2025 proposal from President Donald Trump’s administration would open up nearly 4 million acres of land in California to logging and road construction — by rescinding the so-called “Roadless Rule” law.

With the deadline for giving public comment on Friday, advocates for protecting public lands are urging members of the public to speak up in defense of these wilderness places. But what’s really at stake — and why is the Trump administration going after roadless lands?

We break down the Roadless Rule, the debate around these lands and what a change in the law might mean for public lands in California.

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What is the Trump administration proposing and why?

Almost a quarter of a century ago, the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule identified nearly 45 million acres of

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