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By Marc Heller | 05/22/2026 06:22 AM EDT
Republicans and Democrats dug into well-worn positions as a bill to reopen designated roadless areas to logging advanced to a hearing.
Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.) is the sponsor of a bill that would rescind the roadless area conservation rule of 2001 in national forests. Francis Chung/POLITICO
A House subcommittee Wednesday revisited the long-running debate about barring logging in roadless areas of national forests, with few signs that the battle lines have changed.
The Natural Resources Subcommittee on Federal Lands took up the issue at a hearing on several bills, including Wyoming Republican Rep. Harriet Hageman’s H.R. 7695, which would rescind the roadless area conservation rule of 2001.
Divisions on the issue broke down along the usual lines, with Hageman and other Republicans on the panel blaming the restrictions for allowing Western forests to become overgrown, increasing the risk of wildfire.
Democrats, including Natural Resources ranking member Jared Huffman of California, said the roadless-area rule has been a success, protecting wild areas while allowing limited forest thinning and, in some places, mining and energy development.
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