The USDA is moving to repeal the 25-year-old Roadless Rule, which restricts road construction and logging in undeveloped national forests. Virginia stands to be the most impacted Eastern state, with nearly 400,000 roadless acres in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests. A public comment period ends Sept. 21, 2026.

A federal rule that has limited road construction and timber harvesting in some of the least-developed parts of national forests for 25 years could soon be eliminated. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is moving to repeal the Roadless Rule — a decision that could have significant consequences for Virginia’s George Washington and Jefferson National Forests.

Nearly 400,000 acres across the forests are currently considered roadless — the largest share of any Eastern state — making Virginia the most impacted state on the East Coast if the rule is repealed.