IFAI Analyzes Roadless Rule Rescission

FAYETTEVILLE, ARK. – Today, the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative (IFAI) published an analysis of the Tribal impacts of USDA’s proposed rule rescinding the 2001 Roadless Rule, a regulation that prohibited most road construction and timber harvesting in almost 60 million acres of undisturbed National Forest System land. 

While rescinding the Roadless Rule would not automatically permit road construction, timber harvesting, or other development activities in these forest areas, rescission will likely have significant impacts on Tribal Nations. Areas covered by the Roadless Rule include ancestral homelands, sacred places, treaty-reserved resources, and culturally significant landscapes that remain integral to Tribal traditions and the exercise of Tribal sovereignty. It is also possible that increased road construction post-rescission may better support economic activities as well as wildfire mitigation efforts, but there is evidence suggesting improved road access increases the risk of human-caused wildfire.   

If the Roadless Rule is rescinded, development decisions will revert to existing land management plans, local partnerships and agreements, and other applicable federal laws and regulations. Protection of Tribal resources and culturally important sites will depend on the extent to which Tribal governments are consulted about changes, their ability to be involved in planning and decision-making, and the chances to include Indigenous knowledge and Tribal priorities in forest management. 

IFAI’s policy brief reviews the USDA’s Proposed Rule and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) and discusses potential impacts on Tribal Nations, including impacts on treaty rights and interests, natural resources, traditional and cultural resources, wildfire management, and Tribal co-management. This analysis is intended to support Tribal Nations and Tribal organizations who may be interested in submitting formal comments on the Roadless Rule rescission.  

The public comment period was recently extended to Sept. 21, 2026. Public comments may be submitted online at https://www.regulations.gov/document/FS-2025-0001-223869 or by mail to Director, Ecosystem Management Coordination, 201 14th Street SW, Mailstop 1108, Washington, DC 20250-1124. Tribal governments may also request additional consultation on the rescission through USDA’s Office of Tribal Relations. Read IFAI’s full analysis below.