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natural resources

Trump administration moves to rescind Roadless Rule protecting 58 million acres of national forests

Illustration accompanying article: Trump administration moves to rescind Roadless Rule protecting 58 million
  • Agriculture Secretary Brooke L Rollins is working to rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which bars road construction and timber harvests on 58 million acres of national forests, according to former National Park Service Director Charles F Sams III.
  • The rule was adopted with broad bipartisan support after nearly 2 million public comments, Sams wrote in an opinion piece published June 5 in The Guardian.
  • Sams said eliminating the rule would threaten wildlife habitat for grizzlies, wolves, and salmon and jeopardize drinking water for 180 million Americans who rely on forested watersheds.
  • The administration has fired hundreds of park superintendents, rangers, biologists, and other staff from the National Park Service since Sams left office in 2025, he wrote.
 3 MIN READ

140-Year-Old Idaho Silver Mine Goes Public in $270 Million IPO

Illustration accompanying article: 140-Year-Old Idaho Silver Mine Goes Public in $270 Million IPO
  • Sunshine Silver Mining & Refining, controlled by billionaire Thomas S. Kaplan, raised $270 million in an IPO to restart the historic Sunshine mine in Idaho.
  • Shares rose 27% on their first day of trading on the New York Stock Exchange, valuing the company at $1.9 billion.
  • The mine, which produced an estimated 365 million ounces of silver since its founding in 1884, was idled in 1982 after silver prices collapsed and was later acquired by Kaplan's Electrum Group for $24 million in a 2010 bankruptcy auction.
  • The company plans to use IPO proceeds for feasibility studies, equipment and exploration, targeting initial production by 2028 with the goal of increasing U.S. silver output by more than 15%.
 3 MIN READ
Illustration accompanying article: Cool water plan for Grand Canyon fish weighs ecological gains vs lost power