Congresswoman Hageman Blasts Environmental Catastrophe ‘Roadless Rule’ As 2026 Wildfire Season Begins | Congresswoman Harriet Hageman
Rep. Harriet Hageman Represetative for Wyoming
June 4, 2026
Press Release

Hageman Blasts Environmental Catastrophe ‘Roadless Rule’ As 2026 Wildfire Season Begins 

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Harriet Hageman (R-WY) blasted the 2001 Clinton Roadless Rule during a House Natural Resources Committee hearing on the state of our National Forests and the 2026 wildfire season outlook. 
 
"The United States Forest Service Office created an environmental catastrophe when it issued the Roadless Rule in the final days of the Clinton administration," Rep. Hageman said. "That lame-duck decree, which has now been in effect for over a quarter of a century, unilaterally locked up 58.5 million acres of federal lands from effective management and realistic public access, including 3.2 million acres in my home state of Wyoming." 
 

Rep. Hageman asked U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz what impact the Roadless Rule had on wildfire risk on national forests and surrounding lands.  

"It's definitely increased catastrophic wildfire risk, for sure," Schultz said.  

"How does the Roadless Rule conflict with other federal land management statutes and the Forest Service's multiple use mandate?" Rep. Hageman asked.  

"What it does is it inhibits our ability to manage land just as you outlined," Schultz said. "It inhibits our ability to actively manage the land to protect communities." 

Schultz explained that roadless forests prevent officials from effectively using fire equipment to respond to runaway fires or implement appropriate field treatments.  

"Even public access," Schultz added, is compromised. "It limits public access to enjoy their national forest. So all of those things are at risk with the rule as it's currently drafted." 

Background:

In June 2025, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is rescinding the 2001 Clinton Roadless Rule.  

USDA's action advances President Trump's Executive Order, Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation, which directs federal agencies to eliminate overcomplicated, burdensome regulations that stifle American business and innovation.  

Rep. Hageman introduced legislation in February to codify the repeal into law, ensuring that future administrations cannot reinstate this restrictive rule. In addition to nullifying the rule, the bill specifically directs road construction to support missions such as timber harvesting, watershed management, and wildfire prevention.  

The Clinton Roadless Rule was designed to deny access, management, and use to 58.5 million acres of National Forest Service lands. It was adopted and implemented in violation of the 1897 Organic Act, Wilderness Act, and National Environmental Policy Act.  

Nullifying the 2001 Roadless Rule will enhance forest management and economic opportunities for Wyoming. By removing restrictions on road construction and timber harvesting, more effective forest management can be undertaken. This will lead to improved forest health, reduced wildfire risks, reduced insect infestations, and the creation of jobs in sectors like logging, construction, and maintenance.