Flathead National Forest in Montana. Photo credit: Your Forests Your Future / US Forest Service
The U.S. Department of Agriculture prepares to rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. If the proposal is finalized, it would eliminate a 25-year-old rule that protects some of the most undeveloped parts of America's national forests.
The agency originally set a September 21 deadline for public comments but recently extended the comment period by 15 days, through October 6.
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