Energy & Environment

The Big Story

Trump moves to open up logging in national forests

The Trump administration on Tuesday moved to strip protections from 44 million acres of national forest.

Jenny Kane, Associated Press file

The U.S. Forest Service has proposed to rescind the 2001 “Roadless Rule,” which prohibits road construction and logging in pristine parts of national forests that don’t currently have roads.

By blocking roads, the rule targeted by the administration also inhibits activity like mining and oil and gas drilling in these areas.

Officials said Tuesday that 44 million acres of the 193-million-acre National Forest System are subject to these protections.

In a press release, the administration argued the rule also impedes forest management and could exacerbate wildfires.

Read more at TheHill.com.

Welcome to The Hill’s Energy & Environment newsletter, I’m Rachel Frazin — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains.

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Essential Reads

How policy will affect the energy and environment sectors now and in the future:

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What We’re Reading

News we’ve flagged from other outlets touching on energy issues, the environment and other topics:

Walz executive order moves to block copper mining near the Boundary Waters (MPR News)
US oil producers set to ink production deals with Venezuela (Politico)

What Others are Reading

Two key stories on The Hill right now:

Ossoff battle with Trump, White House gets nasty

The White House and Sen. Jon Ossoff are engaged in an increasingly nasty fight that intensified after the Georgia Democrat, a rising star in his party, invoked President Trump’s longtime aide Natalie Harp in his insults of the commander-in-chief. Read more

Preservationist group urges Supreme Court to keep White House ballroom paused

The preservationist group trying to stop President Trump’s White House ballroom urged the Supreme Court to deny the administration’s emergency request to allow construction, calling it “astonishing” on Tuesday. Read more

You’re all caught up. See you tomorrow!

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