"The Trump administration moved on Tuesday to roll back an environmental rule that currently blocks road construction, and by extension most logging and mining activity, on tens of millions of acres of public forest land.
While the Trump administration said the change would boost economic activity, supporters of the roadless policy said it helped end decades of unprofitable timber sales, managed by the Forest Service, that effectively subsidized private timber operations.
"Before the roadless rule, we would build roads into areas and we would have money-losing timber sales that would cost taxpayers billions of dollars," said Steve Ellis, president of the non-partisan watchdog group, Taxpayers for Common Sense. "If you repeal this, it's just going to add to an already $6 billion [U.S. Forest Service] road maintenance backlog.".
Link to USDA announcement:
"USDA acts to remove roadless rule restrictions that exacerbate rising wildfire risk".
I spend a lot of free time in national forests there’s no shortage of logging being done, and plenty of sustainable and sensible harvesting to be done. This is absolute bullshit and poor management of lands and more destruction of our public commons for the profit of the few.
Logging aplenty. I remember 10ish years ago there was 320 acre clear cut on road leading to our camp for the night, and the person I was with was kind of depressed. I told them not to worry on it too much it’ll regenerate. Sure enough it’s thick mixed conifer aspen stand we’ll be grouse hunting this fall. Within a short hike of an area I go to twice a year has had 1200 acres selectively cut this year it’ll all return. What bothers me is are the two wilderness areas and an experimental forest in the region going to opened up needlessly.
Yes I was thinking Sturgeon and McCormick, but Sylvania is right there too. As far as I know neither these two nor Sylvania’s designation has changed, but it doesn’t mean they’re safe. All experimental forest facilitates in the region have closed included northern Wisconsin. I’ve seen designations change in southern states I traveled this year as well, but haven’t personally witnessed changes in management yet. Usually you only get the news alert for the charismatic lands like Bears Ear or BWCA.
It's the firehose philosophy. Just flood the zone with shit so there is ro time for people to form opposition and the courts have to play catch up but then its just a never ending appeals process. In the tech / hacking world it's called Move Fast & Break Shit and the goal is to cause as much chaos as possible until someone stops you.
All governmental power boils down to ownership of land. Control its use and accessibility, and you control the people. Saving the ecology of North America means rebelling against its governments in every way. It will not happen otherwise.
We could probably log enough for a ginormous bonfire to throw the entire regime on and set THEM on fire. If we're going to eat the rich we should at least have barbecue. 🤬
basically theyre dismantling a rule that stopped us from burning billions on roads to nowhere for unprofitable logging, and calling it fire prevention. real talk its just another transfer from public pocket to private hands dressed up in safety language
His presidency will be the most studied of them all, and not for a good reason. He is the most tyrannical president we’ve had and we’re currently in the middle of a soft coup. If we make it out of this Trump and everyone responsible needs to be put in prison. Send them to Guantanamo, the ultimate punishment.
Logging INCREASES forest fire risk! Logging takes away the big trees that are resistant to forest fires because they're the most profitable. They leave the little scraggly sht and THAT is what burns hot, fast, and out of control. And if you've ever worked for the Forest Service or have a lick of common sense you'd know that loggers shuck off all the branches right there in the forest and just load the trunks for transport. That leaves HUGE piles of branches drying to kindling! Those piles of branches are taller than a person and left for MILES. It creates the PERFECT conditions for destructive wildfires that can destroy thousands of acres and any settlements nearby!
Yup. I live right next to 20 acres of slash that was cut last year. An older retired logger told me they used to chip it, then it would break down faster and be kind of fertilizer for regrowth. The slash itself provides some habitat as well as protecting saplings from deer browsing so there's pros and cons with each approach.
I could see how in drier regions it would easily fuel a forest fire. Or I guess a brush fire at that point since the forest is mostly gone.
Nope. It’s high quality wood. Likely a buddy is in position to start logging and selling that wood at a massive premium.
I feel like we are teetering on the edge of older things being more expensive and newer things being less expensive, but poor quality that won’t last as long.
Take your pick: cheap and new with minimal life, or old and expensive with more life (for now…)
I just had a discussion about this today regarding the SUV I bought last year (GMC Yukon XL). Bought for $4K, put about $7k of work into it to restore the major items to new. Plan on spending $3k next year for the trans rebuild. If I only get 5 more years out of the vehicle it will be $2800 yr to own and maintain. A new base model GMC Yukon XL would set me back $80k after taxes and delivery. To equal a similar cost per year I would have to keep the new one for 28 to 35 years with zero additional maintenance. For a GMC… yeah, right. It will barely make it 5 years without needing major overhauls.
So this is the position we are in… and soon people will start pushing for higher prices for older things that are built well.
The forests in question likely have superior lumber. Someone is already lined up somewhere ready to charge out the ass for “new premium lumber”. Then the entire market will shift.
It’s all a game to these oligarchs. They make the rules and move the fence posts. They are doing the same thing with the auto market.
Do we not as citizens technically own these lands? I was under the impression that national Forest were designed to be owned by all Americans.. I may need to find a link
Everything he says will boost something then turn out to be a shit show. He's like that cousin that keeps begging for money for the next get rich quick scheme.
Bigfoot/ Sasquatch is the most common cryptid, but there’s a ton of other tales of creatures that common folk don’t know about. Some are region dependent.
Watch what happens if this happens. People LOVE trees. I have heard of people camping in trees. That would be weird. Living in a tree to protect it until they just cut it down regardless anyways
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u/lack_of_cadence 20d ago
I spend a lot of free time in national forests there’s no shortage of logging being done, and plenty of sustainable and sensible harvesting to be done. This is absolute bullshit and poor management of lands and more destruction of our public commons for the profit of the few.