The Trump administration is one step closer to ending decades-old protections for tens of millions of acres’ worth of national forests from logging and road building, a move the administration says will help reduce the risk of wildfires.

Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced on Wednesday that the Department of Agriculture plans to publish a notice of intent to rescind the 2001 Roadless Rule at the end of the week, opening the decision up to public comments.

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“Today marks a critical step forward in President Trump’s commitment to restoring local decision-making to federal land managers to empower them to do what’s necessary to protect America’s forests and communities from devastating destruction from fires,” Rollins said in a statement.

“This administration is dedicated to removing burdensome, outdated, one-size-fits-all regulations that not only put people and livelihoods at risk but also stifle economic growth in rural America,” Rollins added. “It is vital that we properly manage our federal lands to create healthy, resilient, and productive forests for generations to come.”

The 2001 Roadless Rule, adopted in the final days of the Clinton administration, prohibits road building and logging on roughly 59 million acres of national forest land.

There is much debate over whether logging can prevent wildfires. Some research suggests that forest thinning can create natural firebreaks, making it more difficult for wildfires to spread rapidly, and road building can improve access for firefighters when containing wildfires.

Other research indicates that wildfires are actually more likely to start near roads and that the removal of trees could create hotter and drier conditions, which could increase the risk of wildfires.

Environmental groups have also said logging encroaches on the natural habitats of wildlife in national forest land and would increase the risk of water contamination.

“Communities depend on clear water filtered by roadless areas, animals depend on the unfragmented habitat that can only exist where there are no roads, and anglers depend on clean water in the streams where trout and salmon swim,” Environment America Research & Policy Center Great Outdoors Campaign Director Ellen Montgomery said in a statement. “We cannot let these essential forests be carved up by roads, obliterated by chainsaws, and contaminated by mines.”

Rollins first announced the administration’s intent to rescind the rule in June, saying at the time that the move would open “a new era of consistency and sustainability for our nation’s forests.”

The administration’s proposed rollback of the nearly 25-year-old rule is specifically designed to apply to nearly 45 million acres of national forest land, particularly in Alaska, building on President Donald Trump’s executive order signed on his first day in office aimed at “unleashing” Alaska’s resources.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AXES LOGGING PROTECTIONS FOR NATIONAL FORESTS TO PREVENT WILDFIRES

The Department of Agriculture did note that any rescission of the Roadless Rule would not affect state-specific rules for Colorado and Idaho regarding forest protections.

The USDA Forest Service is expected to publish the notice of intent in the Federal Register on Friday, inviting members of the public to comment on the proposed rollback until Sept. 19.