A new memo from the U.S. Department of Agriculture outlines plans by the Trump administration to dramatically expand commercial logging across national forests, including vast areas in California. The April 3 directive from USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins follows President Trump’s recent executive order calling for the “immediate expansion of American Timber Production.”
The memo designates over 112 million acres—59% of all national forest lands—as priority zones for logging, citing wildfire risk and forest health issues. The emergency declaration lifts protections on these lands, bypasses environmental reviews, and directs the Forest Service to streamline all timber production processes.
California could see significant impacts, especially in national forests that haven’t been logged commercially in decades. Forests marked as logging priorities include Angeles, San Bernardino, Cleveland, Los Padres, and parts of the Sierra and Tahoe regions. Conservation groups warn that this move could fast-track controversial projects, like the 235,000-acre logging plan in Los Padres National Forest.
Environmental advocates argue the move threatens biodiversity, increases wildfire risk, and favors industry over science. ForestWatch calls the plan a gift to timber companies, warning it could lead to widespread damage and reduce public oversight of forest management decisions.
This directive is part of a broader shift in federal land policy under the Trump administration, which has already reduced protections and funding for national parks and monuments across the state.
