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) U.S. Forest Service filed a proposed rule to rescind in its entirety the 2001 Roadless Rule, which impacts the Little Missouri National Grassland. Last year, USDA announced its intent to repeal the rule and opened a public comment period as part of the rulemaking process. 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. The proposed rule would remove the national designation of roadless areas and return decisions regarding these lands to local forest managers. The rescission removes national designation of roadless areas but does not mandate timber cutting or road construction. USDA is accepting public comments on the proposed rule and draft environmental impact statement through September 21. “We appreciate Secretary Rollins and USDA continuing to move forward with efforts to roll back the Roadless Rule. This proposed rule will help provide greater certainty for our ranchers, energy producers and other stakeholders while ensuring the grasslands can be responsibly managed for multiple use. Rescinding the Roadless Rule will return decision making authority to local land managers who are best positioned to address the needs of our communities,” said Hoeven. “At the same time, we continue working to ensure section line rights-of-way are respected in the Little Missouri National Grasslands.” Hoeven continues working with USDA on grassland management issues, including: Working to resolve the dispute between North Dakota and the USFS regarding section lines in the Little Missouri National Grasslands. Hoeven has made clear to USDA officials that section line rights-of-way are critical for enabling ranchers to access cattle grazing on USFS lands. Coordinating with local ranchers and rural fire departments on wildfire management. -###-