HOUSTON – A new federal proposal could remove protections from thousands of acres of roadless forest in Texas, including four areas of the Sam Houston National Forest north of Houston.
The U.S. Forest Service is proposing to rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which generally restricts new road construction and commercial timber harvesting in designated roadless areas across the country.
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The proposal was filed Tuesday and is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on Thursday. The Forest Service is seeking public comment through Sept. 21.
What could change in Texas?
The Roadless Rule currently protects about 4,000 acres across four areas of the Sam Houston National Forest:
- Big Creek
- Winters Bayou
- Big Woods
- Little Lake Creek
The areas include hardwood bottomlands, pine forests, creeks and wetlands that provide habitat for wildlife and opportunities for hiking, birdwatching and other outdoor activities.
The proposal would not automatically authorize logging or road construction in those areas.
Instead, the Forest Service says rescinding the rule would give local forest managers more flexibility to make decisions about road construction, timber harvesting and other forest-management activities through individual forest plans.
USDA officials say the change is needed to address wildfire risk, insect and disease outbreaks and forest health.
“Today, we filed a proposal to restore authority to local forest managers who know the land best,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said.
The Forest Service says more than 40% of inventoried roadless areas have high or very high wildfire hazard potential, while only 5% have received hazardous-fuel reduction treatments since 2014.
Environmental groups push back
Environment Texas Research & Policy Center is urging Texans to oppose the proposal, arguing that removing the Roadless Rule could make it easier for roads and logging to reach previously protected forests.
“Once a road is cut through an undeveloped forest, logging, mining and more road development inevitably follow,” said Luke Metzger, executive director of Environment Texas Research and Policy Center.
The group also argues that roads can fragment wildlife habitat, interfere with wildlife movement and contribute to water pollution.
Environment America Great Outdoors Campaign Director Ellen Montgomery said the Forest Service should focus on protecting remaining intact forests rather than removing longstanding protections.
What does the proposal actually do?
The proposed rule would rescind the national Roadless Area Conservation Rule but would not itself require timber cutting or road construction.
According to the Forest Service, future decisions would be made through individual national forest land-management plans, giving local officials more flexibility to determine where roads or forest-management projects could occur.
The agency’s draft environmental impact statement says future changes to land-management plans could increase areas where timber harvesting and road construction are allowed.
The Forest Service also estimates the proposal could affect recreation opportunities, including quiet and remote recreation, if new roads and development are eventually approved in some areas.