To provide that the final rule titled "Special Areas; Roadless Area Conservation" and issued on January 12, 2001 (66 Fed. Reg. 3244) shall have no force or effect and require the Secretary of Agriculture to construct certain roads on National Forest System lands, and for other purposes.

1) What happened: Representative Hageman (R-WY) introduced HR 7695 on February 25, 2026. The bill would nullify the 2001 Roadless Rule and mandate the Forest Service to build roads for restoration, hazardous fuels reduction, and watershed management, subject to NEPA and other environmental laws. The bill has four cosponsors, all Republicans, and was referred to the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committees. On May 21, 2026, a subcommittee hearing was held — its first action since referral. 2) The money trail: The bill does NOT authorize any specific funding amount. It is a policy mandate — it requires the Secretary of Agriculture to construct roads, but provides no new appropriation or spending authority. Actual road construction would require separate appropriations from Congress. The mandate is also explicitly subject to all applicable environmental requirements including NEPA, which introduces significant procedural delays and potential litigation risk. 3) Winners and losers: If the bill were to become law and be funded, beneficiaries would include companies providing forestry equipment, forestry management chemicals ($CTVA), and construction materials. However, no funding is authorized, the legislative path is early (subcommittee stage), and environmental opposition is likely given the Roadless Rule's history of bipartisan support in some regions. Timber companies ($WY, $RYN) could benefit from increased access, but remain indirect at this stage. 4) Competitive landscape: The Roadless Rule covers 58.5 million acres of National Forest land. Its repeal would open these areas to potential road construction and resource extraction. However, public lands policy has been intensely litigated for decades — any final rule change would almost certainly face court challenges. The subcommittee hearing is the first step, but many similar bills have died in committee. 5) Timeline: The bill is in early stage — subcommittee hearings are just beginning. Next steps: committee markups, full House vote, Senate introduction/companion bill, conference, presidential signature. Given the 119th Congress runs through January 2027, and this is a divisive public lands issue, passage in this session is unlikely. No companion bill has been introduced in the Senate.