Heinrich Speaks Out Against Trump Admin’s Plan to Undo the Roadless Rule, Strip Protections for Millions of Acres of Public Lands

VIDEO

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and co-founder of the U.S. Senate Stewardship Caucus, joined a press conference hosted by U.S. Representative Andrea Salinas (D-Ore.), Earthjustice, The Wilderness Society, Alaska Wild, and Sierra Club to speak out against the Trump administration's efforts to rescind the Roadless Rule and urge New Mexicans to raise their voices to protect public lands.

The Roadless Rule, established more than 20 years ago, protects nearly 45 million acres of public lands administered by the U.S. Forest Service. The Trump administration is attempting to repeal the Roadless Rule, which will make millions of acres of public lands vulnerable to destructive wildfires, carve up wildlife habitat, degrade opportunities for recreation, and threaten the headwaters that communities across the country rely on.

The Trump administration is expected to repeal the Roadless Rule this spring when they release a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS). Once the DEIS is released, the public will be able to submit comments. This comment period will be the last chance for Americans to voice their opposition to the Trump administration's attempts to repeal the Roadless Rule, and help keep millions of acres of public lands in public hands.

"This administration is trying to ignore the voice of the public and lift up the voice of [private] industry. The input from the public has been 99 percent for protecting these areas," said Heinrich. "As much as this administration seems hell-bent on ignoring the public, what I would say to all of you is: Raise your voices. Make it impossible for the Trump administration to not hear the voice of the people."

U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Energy and Natural Resources Committee, speaks at a press conference urging New Mexicans to raise their voices to preserve the Roadless Rule, May 13, 2026.

See the map of New Mexico's inventoried roadless areas on National Forest System lands here.

Watch the full video of Heinrich's remarks here.

A transcript of Heinrich's remarks as delivered is below:

Good afternoon, everyone.

It's great to be here with my House colleagues.

I share quite a bit of territory with Representative Vasquez, and I know we like to do some of the same things on those public lands.

One of the most prized possessions you can have in the state of New Mexico is a resident elk tag.

And a few years ago, I drew an elk tag in Representative Vasquez's district, and the first thing I did is go to the Gila National Forest to scout for that hunt. And where I went was to the roadless areas.

I'm giving up all my secrets here, but the reality is elk need three things: they need food, they need water, and they need a secure place to bed.

And you find those things in our roadless areas, in our inventoried roadless areas, and your success goes up inversely, proportional, to how far you are from the road. Now, that means you have to pack that animal out, but that is the reality. If you're an elk hunter in New Mexico, you care about these roadless areas.

And it's not just elk.

It's big horned sheep in the Peloncillo in Representative Vasquez's district, it's Coues deer, it's mule deer, it's native trout all through the Carson and Santa Fe National Forests.

These are the places that literally are the engine of our wildlife and our clean water.

And in a state where the Rio Grande Watershed is under so much pressure, the Gila is under so much pressure, these are the places that matter.

And I was actually at some of those hearings in 2001, 25 years ago in New Mexico. And what I can tell you is the public was in the same place then as they are now. Speaker after speaker after speaker, standing up for places that they know and care about, just like this time.

As much as this administration is trying to ignore the voice of the public and lift up the voice of [private] industry. The input from the public has been 99 percent for protecting these areas.

And I think it's worth taking just a minute to bust some of the myths that they're perpetuating out there by saying, "Oh, this is all about fire suppression."

We have done millions of acres of treatment in states like Montana, New Mexico, and [others inside these roadless areas].

This is about ignoring the public and catering to industry.

And as much as this administration seems hell-bent on ignoring the public, what I would say to all of you is: Raise your voices.

Make it impossible for the Trump administration to not hear the voice of the people.

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