Since 2001, the U.S. Forest Service’s Roadless Rule has forbidden new road construction on national forests across Wyoming’s high country.

On Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz announced the first step toward rescinding the rule.

That could open up 45 million acres of roadless areas on national forests across the West for possible new road construction.

That includes vast swaths of some of Wyoming’s premier high country, such as the Wyoming Range and Bighorn Mountains.

The Forest Service will publish the notice of intent to rescind the Roadless in the Federal Register on Friday. That will open a public comment period, scheduled to last until Sept. 19.

Environmental and outdoors groups pushed back against the idea – encouraging

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