The administration is waging an all-out assault on our nation's forests. From dismantling the U.S. Forest Service to dismantling protections that safeguard our forests, the goal is clear: to make way for increased mining and timber production—and runaway profits—at any cost.

These moves mean less access to the forests people love, less capacity to fight wildfires and more threats to clean air, clean water and wildlife habitat.

Here's what we're up against:

• Opening protected forests to logging interests: The administration is moving to repeal the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which would open more than 45 million acres of national forest lands—including treasured landscapes like Alaska's Tongass National Forest—to logging and development. Visit our blog for more info about what's at risk if we lose the Roadless Rule.
• Gutting of conservation programs: The administration wants to slash all funding for critical forest research, eliminate funding for bipartisan-supported forest restoration efforts and cut the U.S. Forest Service's workforce by at least another one-third—which could leave communities more vulnerable to catastrophic wildfires and polluted waterways. To learn more, check out our memo: What to know about the ongoing attacks on the Forest Service.
• Staffing cuts of those who manage and care for our forests: Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced plans to close every regional Forest Service office, shutter three-quarters of the agency's research stations, and relocate its headquarters from D.C. to Utah. These moves come on the heels of what had already been radical cuts and lost capacity at the agency, dating back to early 2025 when Secretary Rollins fired thousands of Forest Service staff. Afterward, a campaign of systematic harassment and intimidation resulted in widespread resignations, including many staff who assisted with wildfire efforts. As a result, over 5,000 staff, 15% of the agency, have left. These reckless moves will most likely result in less capacity and expertise to properly manage what's expected to be a dangerous wildfire season. Congress has the power to protect the agency that it established over a century ago: Tell your representatives to act now!

With your support, The Wilderness Society is combating these threats through powerful advocacy, grassroots organizing, legal fights and scientific research. We're fighting at every turn to defend crucial conservation protections for our undeveloped, roadless forests, stand up for the federal workers who steward our forests and much more.

As our country marks 250 years this month, public lands remain one of the clearest examples of something Americans still hold in common: places owned by all of us, cared for by all of us and meant to be handed down to future generations.

This is a moment to protect the national forests we all share, not give them away to the highest bidder for industrial development. Together, we will defend the forests that provide clean air and water, shelter vulnerable wildlife and give communities the freedom to connect with nature.

With gratitude,

Margot Krieger
Director of Membership
The Wilderness Society

P.S. Make a gift today to protect our forests and other cherished public lands and waters that are at risk of being handed over to corporate interests. Your tax-deductible gift powers efforts to fight back in the courts, in the halls of Congress and in communities across the nation.