A new study in Fire Ecology challenges the Trump administration's plan to rescind the Roadless Rule, which protects 45 million acres of national forests from roadbuilding and logging. The research found wildfires are four times more likely to ignite within 50 meters of roads than in roadless areas, directly contradicting claims that more roads are needed to fight forest fires.

Fire scientists and former firefighters say the administration's justification is flawed. Lucas Mayfield, a former Hotshot firefighter, notes that lack of roads "probably either wouldn't be on the list, or it'd be at the bottom" of wildfire response obstacles. The study shows roads actually increase fire risk by bringing human activity into forests, where 89 percent of wildfires originate, and by creating conditions that allow invasive species like cheatgrass to spread.

The Roadless Rule, enacted in 2001, protects critical habitat for 57 percent of vulnerable wildlife species and provides clean drinking water for 60 million Americans. Environmental advocates argue the rule represents the strongest remaining protection for these ecosystems, as other designations can be amended and expire within 15 years. The administration's proposal now faces legal scrutiny over whether its fire management justification constitutes reasoned decision-making.