Hoeven: USDA Advances Effort to Rescind Roadless Rule

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven, Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee and a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, today issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) opened a public comment period as part of the process to rescind the 2001 Roadless Rule, which impacts the Little Missouri National Grassland. In June,USDA announced it would repeal the rule. Hoeven has been working with USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins and other senior USDA officials to ensure North Dakotans, including ranchers and energy producers, have better access to lands managed by USDA. Earlier this month,Hoeven hosted the U.S. Forest Service Chief in North Dakotato hear firsthand from the area’s ranchers and other stakeholders about the importance of access in the grasslands.
“This is an important step by USDA to roll back the restrictive roadless rule, and we encourage North Dakotans to weigh in on the importance of ensuring access to the grasslands for grazing, energy production and other uses during the public comment period. Rescinding the roadless rule will help put decision-making back into the hands of locals who know best how to manage these lands, and we appreciate Secretary Rollins and USDA’s work to prioritize local control over our federal lands,” said Hoeven. “At the same time, we continue working to ensure section line rights-of-way are respected in the Little Missouri National Grasslands, as well.”
Hoeven continues working with USDA on grassland management issues, including:

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