Mill City, Oregon, sits amid a patchwork of green. Across millions of acres at the base of the Cascades, deep-moss old-growth forests mingle with the bright lime of young trees recovering after timber harvests and fires. And roads thread through it all.
Most of these forest roads were built in the last century to move ancient fir trees to the mills that gave the town its name. Today, only two mills remain, and the aging roads are a maintenance nightmare for the U.S. Forest Service. The massive Beachie Creek Fire of 2020 compounded the problem, damaging roads as well as Mill City and other nearby towns.
Would more roads help or hurt places such as Mill City? A Trump administration proposal would repeal what’s called the “roadless rule,” which prohibits road building and many types of forest management on 45 million acres of national forest. The regulation could be repealed as soon as next year. Supporters of the administration’s plan argue that these areas should be actively managed to reduce wildfire risks, while many conservationists worry that new roads would hurt forests that are home to many vulnerable wildlife species. The forests also provide drinking water and other environmental benefits. Public comment is open through Oct. 6.
