USDA Advances Roadless Rule Repeal; Advocates, Lawmakers Say It Puts 400,000 Acres in Virginia At Risk (8-20-2026)

The United States Department of Agriculture is nearing a full repeal of the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule that protects millions of acres of virgin forestland nationwide. In Virginia, if the rule is repealed, it would open up an estimated 400,000 acres of forest, largely across the Shenandoah Valley region, to development. Continue reading USDA Advances Roadless Rule Repeal; Advocates,…