H.R. 7695: To provide that the final rule titled “Special Areas; Roadless Area Conservation” and issued on January 12, 2001 (66 Fed. Reg. 3244) shall have no force or effect and require the Secretary of Agriculture to construct certain roads on National Forest System lands, and for other purposes.
This bill seeks to overturn an existing regulation known as the "Roadless Rule," which was established by the Department of Agriculture in 2001. The main components of this bill are as follows:
Nullification of the Roadless Rule
The bill states that the Roadless Rule, titled “Special Areas; Roadless Area Conservation,” will have no legal force or effect. This means that the regulations keeping certain areas of national forests free from road construction would no longer apply.
Furthermore, the Secretary of Agriculture would be prohibited from proposing, implementing, or enforcing any rule that is similar to the nullified Roadless Rule.
Mandatory Road Construction
The bill requires the Secretary of Agriculture, through the Chief of the Forest Service, to construct both permanent and temporary roads on National Forest System lands. This construction would be permitted, subject to environmental regulations, for the following purposes:
- To conduct restoration activities of the Forest Service.
- To perform hazardous fuels reduction activities in areas such as:
- At-risk communities
- The wildland-urban interface
- Municipal watersheds
- To replace or decommission existing roads that are determined to harm the health of a forest, rangeland, or watershed.
- To fulfill objectives outlined in the Act of June 4, 1897.
Definitions
The bill includes definitions for certain terms related to its content:
- At-risk community and wildland-urban interface: Definitions are provided as per the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003.
- National Forest System: Defined according to the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974.
Overall Implications
In summary, if this bill is passed, it would effectively invalidate the protections established by the Roadless Rule, allowing for road construction in areas that were previously protected. The Secretary of Agriculture would be mandated to build roads for various purposes outlined, potentially changing how national forests are managed and how restoration and hazardous fuels reduction activities are conducted.
Relevant Companies
- PLD - Prologis, Inc.
As a company involved in logistics real estate, Prologis might be impacted by increased road access to national forests, potentially affecting supply chain logistics and urban development activities.
- WM - Waste Management, Inc.
The company may see changes in waste management logistics and operations in relation to forest management and road access initiatives.
This is an AI-generated summary of the bill text. There may be mistakes.
Sponsors
5 bill sponsors
Actions
3 actions
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| May. 12, 2026 | Referred to the Subcommittee on Federal Lands. |
| Feb. 25, 2026 | Introduced in House |
| Feb. 25, 2026 | 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. |
Corporate Lobbying
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