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The public has until Friday to weigh in on whether the federal government should strike down the so-called “roadless rule” that protects certain federal lands. The Trump administration wants to open up about 45 million acres of wild lands to logging and road construction.

Megan Birzell, state director with the Wilderness Society, said this would disturb forests that have no roads but are very popular for biking, ATV’s, hiking and fishing.

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"If this rule is undone, the management of those places is going to shift from being focused on the recreation experience to more of a timber experience," she explained. "So we can expect to see more new roads built."

The U.S. Forest Service argues that it needs more roads to control forest fires. But research from the Wilderness Society shows that wildfires are up to four times more likely in areas with roads, often because of the higher risk of sparks or discarded cigarettes. California is home to 4.4 million acres of inventoried roadless areas.

Federal officials are required to take the public comment into account during the next step, which is the environmental impact statement. Birzell hopes the administration will compromise.

"So far, all that's on the table is a complete repeal," she continued. "So it remains to be seen whether there will be some middle ground offered when the environmental impact statement is released in several months."

Advocates question the wisdom of building more roads, since the Forest Service currently has a $5 billion backlog of road maintenance and has recently lost large numbers of employees to cutbacks. A recission of the “roadless rule” would not affect designated wilderness areas, which are protected by Congress.