The Roadless Rule debate

Good morning, New Hampshire, and welcome to a new week. Today, Molly Rains reports on the debate over the “Roadless Rule” and why some conservationists are pushing for members of Congress to do more to protect New Hampshire wilderness areas. Also, States Newsroom’s Jonathan Shorman looks at the concern over potential federal election interference next month. And, from Stateline’s Tim Henderson, the final monthly jobs report before the midterm elections is “textbook weak,” including an uptick in the unemployment rate. Thank you for reading, and enjoy the day. — Dana

By Molly Rains

As the period for public comment on the proposed rollback of the Roadless Rule draws to a close, some conservationists want Congress to do more. The Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which dates to 2001, prohibits road construction and timber harvesting in remote areas of national forests across the country. A proposal from the U.S. Department of Agriculture would remove those federal limitations on the allowed uses of roadless areas. The move is “the existential threat in the fire-hose assault on our public lands right now,” said Jeffrey Swayze, a New Hampshire guide and mental health counselor at White Mountains Community College in Gorham, who described the potential repeal as “unconscionable.”

By Jonathan Shorman

One month from Election Day, President Donald Trump’s long-running pressure campaign over elections is approaching a decisive moment. For the past year, the Trump administration has sought to bend the U.S. election system to the president’s will across multiple fronts, despite the Constitution’s guarantee that states administer elections. Interviews and public comments by more than a dozen current and former election officials, legal experts, lawmakers and others ahead of the midterms reveal anxiety over what Trump may do. Election administrators often plan for natural disasters, bomb threats and other possible problems, but this year many are also thinking about possible disruptions driven by the federal government.

By Tim Henderson, Stateline

Jobs across the United States rose by 29,000 in September, a disappointing result as recent growth was also revised down in Friday’s monthly jobs report, the last one before midterm elections. September growth was a large dip from a strong August number that was revised down from 162,000 to 133,000 in the new report. July jobs were also revised from an increase of 21,000 to a decrease of 10,000, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics monthly report. “This is a textbook weak jobs report,” economist Kathryn Anne Edwards said on a live chat on Substack after the release.