For Immediate Release: September 18, 2025 Contact: Nick Smith (503) 515-4206 The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) and the California Forestry Association (Calforests) today submitted formal joint comments to the U.S. Forest Service in support of rescinding the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. The two associations, representing forest products manufacturers and forest land stewards across the West, […]
Press Releases
USDA Takes Next Steps to Rescind the 2021 Roadless Rule
Featured article from AFRC’s September 2025 Newsletter. On August 27, USDA Secretary Rollins announced the next steps in a rulemaking process to rescind the 2021 Roadless Rule. The Roadless Rule has been a roadblock to science-based active management on millions of acres of Federal forests for more than a quarter-Century. Rescinding the Roadless Rule would […]
Commissioner Upthegrove’s Set-Aside of Public Working Forests Threatens $300 Million in School and Community Revenues
The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) today expressed concerns with Washington Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove’s order to immediately set aside 10,300 acres of state trust lands from sustainable timber harvests, as part of an effort to “conserve” 77,000 acres of these working forests. “Removing these acres from sustainable harvest will mean less revenue […]
Roadless Rule Restrictions Are Leaving Montana’s Forests at Risk
Montana’s National Forests are among the most celebrated public lands in the United States, offering unmatched wildlife habitat, clean water, recreation, and scenic beauty. They also face some of the most severe wildfire threats. These threats are worsened, not reduced by current restrictions under the Clinton-era 2001 Roadless Rule. Approximately 6.4 million acres of National […]
Counterpoint: Keeping Washington’s State Trust Lands Working for the Public Good
In his recent Soapbox opinion, John Talberth calls for ending all timber harvests on Washington’s state trust lands and proposes replacing this revenue with a new tax on forest landowners, new fees on recreation, and selling speculative carbon offsets to investors and multinational corporations. This argument fundamentally misunderstands how Washington’s forest sector works and what’s […]
Job Announcement: AFRC Seeks Staff Attorney
About AFRC The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) is seeking a full-time staff attorney. AFRC is an Oregon nonprofit corporation that represents the forest products industry throughout Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, California, and Nevada. AFRC’s mission is to advocate for sustained-yield timber harvests on public timberlands throughout the West to enhance forest health and resistance […]
Supreme Court Restores Common Sense to NEPA in Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County
Today, the Supreme Court made clear that the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) does not require agencies to chase every speculative possibility, nor to paralyze progress under the weight of endless litigation brought by “anti-everything” groups. This ruling is a critical step toward restoring sanity to a system that has long turned environmental review into […]
AFRC Joins County Coalition in Challenging Federal Overreach in Northern Spotted Owl Critical Habitat Designation
The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) along with a coalition of counties in Washington, Oregon and California and the Association of O&C Counties filed a legal challenge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) November 2021 decision to withdraw critical habitat exclusions for the […]
AFRC Responds to President Trump’s Executive Orders on U.S. Timber and Lumber Production
The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) today voiced its strong support for two Executive Orders signed by President Trump on March 1, aimed at expanding U.S. timber production and strengthening the domestic lumber industry. The Executive Orders address key challenges facing federal forest management, wildfire prevention, and the economic sustainability of the nation’s wood products […]
AFRC Welcomes Tom Schultz as 21st Chief of the U.S. Forest Service
American Forest Resource Council President Travis Joseph has the following to say regarding the appointment of Tom Schultz as the 21st Chief of the U.S. Forest Service: “Tom Schultz recognizes the vital role of active forest management on federal lands in supporting rural communities, strengthening local economies, and protecting the environment. With a distinguished career […]