Why the USDA Wants to Repeal the Roadless Rule, and What New Mexico Stands to Lose

When the U.S. Department of Agriculture asked for public input on dropping the 2001 Roadless Rule, New Mexicans answered with a near-unanimous no, Source NM reports.

Source NM reviewed 594 comments from New Mexico residents and found that 589 opposed repeal. All 120 comments that mentioned the state’s national forests backed keeping the rule, which limits road building and logging on about 58 million acres nationwide, including roughly 1.6 million acres in New Mexico. The comment period closed Oct. 6.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the plan in Santa Fe in June 2025. The administration argues local managers need more flexibility to reduce wildfire risk and support timber work. Opponents say new roads would increase the risk of human-caused wildfires and threaten watersheds and wildlife.

Commenters described backpacking trips in the Gila, elk herds and starry skies, and words like solitude and sacred came up again and again, according to Source NM. One of the few supporters was the general manager of Sipapu Ski Resort, who argued in his comment for local control.

Nationwide, the USDA received more than 370,000 comments, and an analysis by the Center for Western Priorities found more than 99% opposed repeal. A final decision is pending.

Editor’s note: Updated Oct. 31, 2026. This story is now part of Daily Reports, our New Mexico news roundup, and was revised to credit Source NM’s original reporting. Learn how Daily Reports works in our editorial standards.

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