Attorney General Bonta: Public Forest Lands Must be Protected

OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta, alongside a coalition of seven attorneys general, submitted a comment letter opposing the Trump Administration's proposed rescission of the Roadless Area Conservation Rule (Roadless Rule), which would strip vital protections from approximately 44.7 million acres of national forest land. The landmark Roadless Rule prevents road construction and timber harvesting in the last unfragmented stretches of national forest land nationwide. In the comment letter, the coalition highlights how the Trump Administration’s proposed rescission of the Roadless Rule threatens some of our nation’s most pristine ecosystems, undermines climate resilience, and jeopardizes clean water and wildlife habitat – all for short-term economic gain.

“Make no mistake, this rescission rule is another blatant attempt by the Trump Administration to line their friends' pockets by handing over our public forest lands to those who would exploit it for profit,” said Attorney General Bonta. “No matter how they spin it, the science and facts are clear. Roadbuilding increases fire risk and fragments forest ecosystems. These forests are home to critical wildlife habitat, clean water sources, and massive carbon sinks that play a vital role in stabilizing our climate. We must protect our public forest lands, and the administration must immediately reverse course.”

Enacted in 2001, the Roadless Rule has been the cornerstone of U.S. forest conservation policy for over two decades. The rule prohibits road construction, reconstruction, and commercial logging in designated “roadless areas” to preserve their ecological integrity, safeguard wildlife habitat, protect watersheds, and maintain opportunities for recreation. This June, in response to President Trump’s Executive Order 14225, “Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production,” the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced its intent to rescind this rule. The rescission would open California’s 4.4 million acres of roadless areas — including all 20 of California’s national forests — to new road building, road reconstruction, and logging. New road access to these areas has the potential to increase other extractive activities on these forest lands, such as mining and oil and gas activities. 

In the comment letter, the coalition of attorneys general asserts that:

• Contrary to the Trump administration’s claims, constructing roads will introduce ignition sources into forests, potentially increasing wildfire frequency and severity.
• Commercial interests will drive unsustainable logging, weakening forests’ resilience to climate change and resulting in fragmentation of habitat necessary for species to migrate, reproduce, and survive.
• The rescission will jeopardize decades’ worth of conservation work and public land protections.

Attorney General Bonta, alongside Washington Attorney General Nicholas Brown, leads the attorneys general of Arizona, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon, and Vermont in filing the comment letter.

A copy of the letter can be found here.