Home / Environment / Tribes and Environmentalists Rally to Protect 2 Million Acres of National Forests
Tribes and Environmentalists Rally to Protect 2 Million Acres of National Forests
10 Sep
Summary
- Lummi Nation's House of Tears carves totem pole and 10 cedar masks for 1,700-mile journey
- Roadless Rule protects critical salmon spawning habitat in Olympic National Forest
- Public comment period open until Sept. 19 to oppose repeal of Roadless Rule
As of September 10, 2025, Washington tribal leaders and environmental advocates are speaking out against the Trump administration's plan to repeal protections for 2 million acres of national forests in the state. The U.S. Forest Service has proposed scrapping the Roadless Rule, a federal regulation established in 2001 that prohibits road construction, logging, and mining across millions of acres of national forest land.
On September 8, a crowd of about 120 people gathered outside the Capitol building in Olympia to bless a totem pole and 10 cedar masks carved by the Lummi Nation's House of Tears. This was part of the Indigenous-led campaign "Xaalh and the Way of the Masks," which will see the totem and masks travel 1,700 miles between rally sites in Washington and Oregon before being delivered to the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe on September 20.
Opponents argue that rescinding the Roadless Rule would endanger critical salmon spawning habitat in the Olympic National Forest and increase wildfire risks due to more human activity in the protected areas. The public comment period on the proposal is open until September 19, and volunteers at the Olympia rally gathered opposing comments from about 120 people.
