Press Releases

U.S. Senate Disapproves Mining Ban in Boundary Waters

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Senate voted to approve a controversial proposal, backed by the Trump Administration, to allow toxic sulfide mining in the watershed of one of the country’s most visited wilderness areas.

MEDIA ADVISORY: Sources and new resources available in advance of fed statement on bulldozing public lands for roads

WHATThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is expected to soon release a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) for their plan to rescind the Roadless Area Conversation Rule.Enacted in 2001 with broad bipartisan support, the “Roadless Rule” conserves 45 million acres of national forest land.

Trump Administration Shuts Public Out of National Forest Projects, Wildlife Killings

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration today finalized rules to fast-track approval of logging, mining, drilling, road building and other projects in America’s national forests by eliminating decades-old public participation requirements for environmental reviews. The new U.S. Department of Agriculture rules also ax public notice and comment on federal bird flu responses and wildlife-killing activities.

Lawsuit Challenges Trump’s Public Blackout on National Forest Projects, Wildlife Killings

Sierra Club Statement on Forest Service Proposal to Expand Post-Fire Salvage Logging

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today marked the end of a short two-week public comment period on post-fire recovery actions in national forests.

Sierra Club: Pro-Logging Bill Would Fail Our Forests

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry held a markup on a controversial forestry bill. The bill was reported out of committee with a vote of 18-5.

Sierra Club Statement on Closing of USDA Reorganization Comment Period

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- This week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture concludes a comment period on a drastic downsizing of the department that could limit the agency’s ability to fulfill its basic responsibilities.

Sierra Club Statement on Closing of Roadless Rule Repeal Comment Period

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture closed its abnormally short public comment period on rescinding the Roadless Area Conservation Rule.

ADVISORY: Congressional and Federal Advocates, Tribal Leader to Discuss Roadless Rule Repeal

FOR PLANNING PURPOSESWASHINGTON, D.C. -- Members of Congress, a former public lands management official,, and a Tribal president will participate in a webinar Monday on the proposed rescission of the Roadless Area Conservation Rule. 

Trump Administration Attempt to Repeal Roadless Rule Met With Widespread Opposition

Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture today opened an official rulemaking process to rescind the Roadless Rule, an extremely popular conservation policy enacted in 2001 to protect  more than 45 million acres of pristine lands in national forests across 36 states and Puerto Rico. The longstanding rule generally protects against new roadbuilding for logging and oil-and-gas drilling in unfragmented, backcountry forestlands that have never been disturbed by major development.