Trying to add a payment method? You can do this on the 
QuickTake:
The federal government missed its initial timeframe for publicly releasing its proposed repeal of the 2001 rule. Eugene-based conservation groups and activists have spent months preparing for another public comment period that has yet to open.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s public rollout of a proposed repeal of the Roadless Rule has been delayed, according to a status report filed Tuesday, May 26, in federal court.
Nearly a year ago, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced plans to repeal the long-contested 2001 Roadless Rule, which bars road construction on nearly 45 million acres of national forest land. That includes about 2 million acres in Oregon and 8,000 acres in Lane County surrounding Hardesty Mountain in the Willamette National Forest.
The administration and timber trade groups argue roads provide access for wildfire suppression and forest management work aimed at reducing fire risk.
Environmental groups across the United States disagree, as did most public comments submitted last summer to the U.S. Forest Service, an agency that falls under the Agriculture Department. An analysis of the comments conducted by the Center for Western Priorities found that 99.2% of those submitted to the Federal Register supported keeping the rule in place.
Since then, the Forest Service has been preparing a proposed rule and draft environmental impact statement — which is required under the National Environmental Policy Act for major policy changes that could affect land, water, wildlife and communities.
The documents were expected to be released earlier this year, according to the agency.
In April, and in the absence of public meetings, Oregon-based groups hosted town halls in Portland, Bend and Eugene. Nearly 100 people gathered at Gratitude Brewing in Eugene to hear from local advocates and leaders, including Lane County Commissioner Laurie Trieger.
During that event, organizers with Oregon Wild, Cascadia Wildlands, and Firefighters United for Safety Ethics and Ecology outlined how people could prepare to comment again, anticipating another public comment period would open soon.
But no comment period opened.
A status report filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Alaska said the Forest Service now “anticipates” releasing the proposal in late spring or summer. The filing is part of an ongoing lawsuit between the state of Alaska and the Agriculture Department over the rule’s application in the Tongass National Forest.
According to the report, the proposed rule was sent to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs for review in early March. The USDA “continues to work” on both the proposed rule and the draft environmental impact statement.
An unnamed team member of the Forest Service’s “National Press Team” responded to a request for comment with this statement:
“As with any action such as this, dates aren’t set in stone. There is no specific reason for stating ‘Spring or Summer’ other than anticipating the process may take longer than initially expected.”
