Roadless Rule reversal could affect Wahkiakum

Ten years ago, Steve Fischer had never heard of Skamokawa. However, on a trip to Washington, the Texas-native still remembers his first visit to a property for sale. “I walked in off of SR4 and when I saw the river, I just gasped,” Fischer said. “The view was spectacular and reminded me of the first time I saw my wife, Susan, and later when I rescued my dog Rooster from the San Antonio Pound.” With a view of mountains, beach, the Columbia River and Oregon, he was more than motivated to deal with overgrown logging roads, easement rights and corporate attorneys. “Not one of their people ever saw the property” he said. “When I mentioned the view, they replied, ‘We are a lumber company, we don’t deal with views.’ Lucky for me, I suppose.”

Now that view and the surrounding areas could be impacted by a recent USDA rulemaking process to rescind the Roadless Rule designed to protect wild land and national forests. The Roadless Rule has prohibited most new road construction and logging since 2001. Led by Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins, the rescindment was recently announced on Aug. 27. It aims to return decision-making and “active forest management” to local Forest Service officials for road reconstruction and timber harvesting, as well as addressing wildfire risks.

The rescindment would apply to approximately 45 million acres of national forest lands across the country, including 4 million acres across Washington and Oregon. Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown’s office released a statement on Sept. 22 with arguments against the federal rescindment, citing economic harm to local and state economies that rely on recreation and the outdoors industry. Along with increased risk of wildfires and site degradation, it may also jeopardize important sites for local tribes. A "Way of the Masks" totem pole journey, led by Lummi elders, traveled through Washington and Oregon in September to raise awareness in opposition to the rescission.

The action could also pose a financial risk. The U.S. Forest Service already reports a backlog of $6 billion in maintenance. With the move to decentralised forest management, the rescindment may require the conservation of public lands to be managed privately if additional federal funds are not available. Fischer serves as an example of this. Inspired by the property's beauty and a changing climate, he launched his own effort to reforest the previously logged land and was supported by a small farmers’ grant. It helped thin trees and replenish the neglected roads while still only covering a fifth of his property - now known as Fischer Family Farms. Nearby Hancock Lumber has partnered with Fischer, planting coastal redwoods along new roads they themselves built in order to access their own trees.

While opponents of the Roadless Rule have often focused on jobs in the timber and mining industries, many rural economies have increasingly shifted to rely on tourism and outdoor recreation. Fischer sees this as a good choice for properties like his, as well as a future for the local communities and the County. Since COVID, his visits to the site have become rare, and the challenges of managing the illegal trespassing on his Skamokowa from Texas have increased. “Someone suggested that the Columbia Land Trust would be interested in the land and cooperate with the Port District to make a super park,” said Fischer. “It doesn’t take much vision to see how Vista Park, with its beach and recreation areas, would benefit from miles of adjacent hiking at all levels, wildlife and those amazing views.”

The federal decision was followed by a public comment period ending just last week. The USDA is expected to release a proposed rule by March of 2026. This will be followed by another public comment period with the final rule, and record of decision, anticipated for late 2026. In the meantime, there is a congressional effort to pass the "Roadless Conservation Act of 2025," making the 2001 Roadless Rule permanent. This bill, re-introduced by senators including Washington’s Maria Cantwell (DEM), would lock in the existing protections.

The future of these essential wild spaces - for both conservationists and industry - remains a bet on a changing climate and a test of commitment to preserving these resources for generations to come.