Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
This bill would permanently protect millions of acres of undeveloped forest land within the National Forest System by prohibiting road construction, road reconstruction, and logging in designated "inventoried roadless areas." The legislation affects national forests across the country and would lock in protections that currently exist under the Roadless Rule, a 2001 regulation that has been modified in some states like Idaho and Colorado. The bill aims to preserve these areas for their environmental benefits—including protecting clean water sources that supply millions of Americans, maintaining wildlife habitat and biodiversity, and supporting recreation-based economies—while still allowing certain multiple-use activities like hunting, fishing, and hiking. The Forest Service would be responsible for enforcing the protections, and no new funding or specific timeline is mentioned in the legislation; instead, it simply codifies existing regulatory protections into permanent law.
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