Trump Administration Guts Protections for National Forests

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Forest Service issued a sweeping rollback of protections for our national forests today, its latest effort to weaken landmark rules established five decades ago under the National Environmental Policy Act.   

The following is a statement from Kabir Green, director of federal affairs at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council):

“Rather than addressing the climate and biodiversity crises we face, the Trump administration continues to make our problems worse. Today it’s ramming through sweeping changes that will open national forests to large-scale logging, roadbuilding – and even oil drilling and mining. Each of these will exacerbate our climate crisis.

“This is yet another blatant attempt to undermine bedrock environmental law and public input, while giving companies free rein over our treasured natural resources. Add this rule to the long list of ill-conceived actions the Biden administration is going to have to toss and redo the right way.”

###

NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.