The United States Agriculture Department’s move to repeal protections for roughly 45 million acres of federal forestland nationally without a public hearing prompted New Mexico environmentalist groups to host their own forums across the state this week, including one Wednesday evening at a basketball gymnasium in Albuquerque’s Barelas neighborhood.

USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins on Aug. 18 announced that the department had formally proposed repealing the 2001 Roadless Rule, which currently protects federal forestland, including roughly 1.6 million acres in New Mexico, from road construction and timber harvesting. She unveiled the proposal last year in Santa Fe during the Western Governors’ Association annual convention.