Washington’s great outdoors are famous for breathtaking mountain views, crystal blue lakes and…. roads? You could start seeing more of that last one on your hikes and camping trips in the coming years. 

That’s because President Trump is trying to get rid of the Roadless Rule. It’s a 2001 federal policy that prohibits road construction and logging in protected national forests and grasslands. A repeal of the policy could impact close to 45 million acres in the United States, including around 2 million in Washington. 

The administration says the rule is too restrictive, gets in the way of wildfire risk management and hurts economic development in rural areas. In late August, the federal government opened a public comment period for the proposed rescission. People have until Friday, September 19th, to share their thoughts. 

So far, the news has ignited major backlash from wildlife advocates, outdoor enthusiasts, and tribes. But others are in favor of the federal administration's proposal to repeal the rule. A few people share why they're either backing the policy's overturn or fighting for its preservation. 

Guest:


Alyssa Macy, a citizen of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs 
Nick Smith, public affairs director for the American Forest Resource Council 
Lia Brewster, Sierra Club conservation campaign strategist  

Related stories:
Trump's push to end "Roadless Rule" could open some of Utah's wild places to logging - Axios Salt Lake City
Trump agencies move to repeal roadless rule, open public lands
Roadless Rule repeal moves ahead; would affect 2M acres in Washington

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes.

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

Washington&rsquo;s great outdoors are famous for breathtaking mountain views, crystal blue lakes and&hellip;. roads? You could start seeing more of that last one on your hikes and camping trips in the coming years.&nbsp;
That&rsquo;s because President Trump is trying to get rid of the Roadless Rule. It&rsquo;s a 2001 federal policy that prohibits road construction and logging in protected national forests and grasslands. A repeal of the policy could impact close to 45 million acres in the United States, including around 2 million in Washington.&nbsp;
The administration says the rule is too restrictive, gets in the way of wildfire risk management and hurts economic development in rural areas. In late August, the federal government opened a public comment period for the proposed rescission. People have until Friday, September 19th, to share their thoughts.&nbsp;
So far, the news has ignited major backlash from wildlife advocates, outdoor enthusiasts, and tribes. But others are in favor of the federal administration's proposal to repeal the rule. A few people share why they're either backing the policy's overturn or fighting for its preservation.&nbsp;
Guest:
<ul>
<li>
Alyssa Macy, a citizen of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs&nbsp;
</li>
<li>Nick Smith, public affairs director for the American Forest Resource Council&nbsp;</li>
<li>Lia Brewster, Sierra Club conservation campaign strategist&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Related stories:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2025/09/05/trump-roadless-rule-utah-wildfires-logging-national-forests">Trump's push to end "Roadless Rule" could open some of Utah's wild places to logging - Axios Salt Lake City</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/local/arizona-environment/2025/09/11/trump-agencies-move-to-repeal-roadless-rule-open-public-lands/86083667007/">Trump agencies move to repeal roadless rule, open public lands</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/sep/05/roadless-rule-repeal-moves-ahead-would-affect-2m-a/">Roadless Rule repeal moves ahead; would affect 2M acres in Washington</a></li>
</ul>
Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes" data-stringify-link="http://kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes" data-sk="tooltip_parent">kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes.</a>
Soundside&nbsp;is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

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The Trump administration is trying to get rid of the Roadless Rule. A few people share why they're either backing the policy's overturn or fighting for its preservation. 

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