"Nearly two decades of modern climate politics has produced one durable result: Most Americans stopped listening." Read @ACC_National President @ChrisBarnardDL on what a new vision for conservative environmental policy should look like.

The U.S. Forest Service has proposed rescinding the 2001 Roadless Rule, which restricts road construction and timber harvesting across nearly a third of national forest acreage. A new PERC analysis examines what the data say about roadless areas, wildfire risk, and forest management, and finds that the trade-offs vary considerably from place to place. Greater flexibility could help manage wildfire risk: Roadless fires account for roughly 25% of reported suppression costs, and 7.3 million roadless acres lie in wildfire-transmission zones. More flexibility could enable fuel treatments and faster suppression where fires threaten communities. But more access comes with trade-offs: Human-caused fires are far more common near roads, meaning expanded access could increase ignitions and impose ecological and maintenance costs. And with just 74,000 roadless acres in direct-exposure zones, the benefits may be concentrated in relatively few areas. Much of the current Roadless Rule debate centers on whether its nationwide restrictions should remain in their current form or be rescinded. Our analysis shows that the wildfire-management and conservation trade-offs warrant a more targeted approach. Read the full article: perc.org/2026/09/21/the-road… #roadlessrule #forestservice #wildfire