But supporters of the roadless rule say it emerged as a cornerstone of U.S. conservation policy, limiting industrial activity and preserving habitat on vast swaths of public forest and grassland from Alaska to Florida.

“The roadless rule protects some of the most valuable public lands that belong to all Americans,” said Drew Caputo, a senior attorney with the environmental group, Earthjustice. “It is the most important land protection measure of the last 60 years.”

While the Trump administration said the change would boost economic activity, supporters of the roadless policy said it helped end decades of unprofitable timber sales, managed by the Forest Service, that effectively subsidized private timber operations.