A ban on “logging, mining and other development on 58.5 million acres” of national forests has been overturned by a federal judge in Wyoming, with the judge stating that the original ban “flagrantly and cavalierly railroaded this country’s present environmental laws.” My guess is he wasn’t a fan of said ban.

The ban, which is known as the “roadless rule” as it in part prevents roads from being built on undeveloped lands in about a third of national forests, was created by the outgoing Clinton administration in 2001. Judge Clarence A. Brimmer threw out the rule in 2003, and the Bush administration adopted new rules for federal lands. These rules necessitated that governors of states looking to protect their land petition the federal government to do so, and were struck down in favor of the original rules in 2006 be a different judge. Then THAT ruling was appealed, and Judge Brimmer came back into the picture to strike down the throwing out of the rules. And we’re back to the 2003 rules.

So. Now that we’re this far, this new ruling is going to be appealed by environmental groups, while the state of Wyoming, which challenged the striking down of the throwing out, is claiming that these new rules are actually good for national forests, as he told the Associated Press of the “potential harm the roadless rule poses to our national forests due to beetle infestation and forest fires.” Though it seems like the rules we’re using now make it so that states actually have to ask to keep protected land protected. Which seemingly makes the land, I don’t know, unprotected?

You can takepart by reading about the roadless rule and who’s doing what to it at the National Resources Defense Council’s website.   Cause knowledge is power!