First up, we've got some troubling news about forests.

Last Tuesday the U.S. Department of Agriculture proposed a plan to kill something called the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule.

This Clinton-era rule pretty much does what it says on the tin: it took tens of millions of acres of national forests and grasslands that did not yet have roads on them and deemed that they would remain roadless.

In the decades leading up to the Roadless Rule's introduction, the logging industry had been encroaching on these wooded areas with access roads.

Roadless areas ensure that swaths of these national forests are preserved, protecting animal habitats and allowing for recreational activities like hiking.

The USDA described the policy in last week's press release as a "one-size-fits-all restriction" that has "frustrated land managers and served as a barrier to wildfire risk reduction work."

It's worth noting, however, that the Roadless Rule has always allowed roadbuilding and tree cutting when needed to reduce wildfire risk or otherwise support human health and safety.

And experts have pointed out that, with most wildfires stemming from human activity, road construction and industrial incursions will likely make wildfires worse, not better.

The proposed rule will go through a 30-day public comment period before it can be finalized.

You can submit a comment by going to Regulations. Gov.