A Forest Service fire mitigation crew works along on a logging road in the Klamath National Forest. (Courtesy U.S. Forest Service)

The Trump administration is rescinding the 2001 “Roadless Rule,” a Forest Service rule that prohibits road construction, reconstruction and timber harvesting on more than 58 million acres of national forests.

Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced the policy shift Monday at a meeting of the Western Governors’ Association.

“Once again, President Trump is removing absurd obstacles to common sense management of our natural resources by rescinding the overly restrictive roadless rule,” Rollins said. “This move opens a new era of consistency and sustainability for our nation’s forests. It is abundantly clear that properly managing our forests preserves them from devastating fires and allows future generations of Americans to enjoy and reap the benefits of this great land.”

According to a USDA news release, rescinding this rule will remove prohibitions on road construction, reconstruction, and timber harvest on nearly 59 million acres of the National Forest System, allowing for fire prevention and responsible timber production.

Officially the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, the rule has been the subject of litigation since being enacted in 2001, with federal judges twice blocking the regulation only to be overturned by appeals courts.

Rachael Hamby, policy director for the Center for Western Priorities, said in a statement that the rule rescission was an attack on clean water, wildlife, Western communities, and recreation on public lands.

“It’s ridiculous for Secretary Rollins to spin this as a move that will reduce wildfire risk or improve recreation. Commercial logging exacerbates climate change, increasing the intensity of wildfires. This is nothing more than a massive giveaway to timber companies at the expense of every American and the forests that belong to all of us,” she said.

This is a breaking story that will be updated.