Rep. Salinas Secures Extension of Public Comment Period on Trump Administration’s Roadless Rule Repeal

SALEM, OR - Today, Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (OR-06) Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Forestry and Horticulture, celebrated the U.S. Forest Service's decision to extend the public comment period on the Trump Administration's proposal to rescind the Roadless Rule.

The Forest Service announced that it will extend the comment deadline by 15 days, from September 21 to October 6, giving Americans additional time to weigh in on a proposal that would eliminate longstanding protections for 44 million acres of National Forest System lands.

The extension comes just days after Rep. Salinas led a bipartisan coalition of 164 Members of Congress in calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Forest Service to provide the public with more time to comment on the proposed rollback. In their September 3 letter, Salinas and her colleagues urged the Forest Service to extend the comment period from 30 days to 120 days, hold in-person public meetings, and conduct full Tribal consultation to allow Americans to have their voices heard.

"When the Roadless Rule was first adopted 25 years ago, more than 1.6 million comments were submitted in favor of the rule. That's more than any other rule in our nation's history at the time it was adopted," said Rep. Salinas. "Oregonians deserve a real opportunity to make their voices heard before the Trump Administration makes a decision that could fundamentally change 44 million acres of our public lands. I'm glad the agency listened to our demands to extend the comment period, and I urge them to listen to every American who demands that we protect our wilderness.

"While 15 additional days still falls well short of the 120-day comment period we requested, this extension gives Oregonians and communities across the country more time to speak up for our forests, clean drinking water, wildlife habitat, and outdoor recreation economy. I will continue pushing the Administration to provide the robust and transparent public process that a decision of this magnitude demands."

The Roadless Rule has protected undeveloped areas of the National Forest System from most road construction and logging for more than 25 years. The original rule was developed following an extensive public process that included more than 600 public meetings and approximately 1.6 million public comments.

By contrast, the Trump Administration initially provided only 30 days for the public to comment on its proposed rescission of the Roadless Rule and associated Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Rep. Salinas and her colleagues argued that such a short window was inadequate given the scope of the proposal and the significant consequences it could have for communities, drinking water, wildlife habitat, outdoor recreation, and forest management across the country.

The new deadline for public comments is October 6, 2026.

Rep. Salinas has been a leading advocate for protecting roadless areas in America's national forests. She is a lead sponsor of the Roadless Area Conservation Act, legislation that would permanently codify the protections of the 2001 Roadless Rule into law.