Darrell Brown, president of the Otero County Cattlemen’s Association, has called for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to end the Roadless Rule, citing negative impacts on forest conditions and local economies. This statement was released in a press release.
"The health of the Lincoln National Forest has not improved, most especially since the declaration of the MSO as being endangered," said Brown. "There essentially has been no “forest health management”, only the lack of responsible management or no management at all. The Roadless Rule essentially finished it off. We strongly encourage that the Roadless Rule be completely rescinded."
The U.S. Forest Service's 2001 Roadless Rule restricts road construction, reconstruction, and most timber harvests across approximately 60 million acres of inventoried roadless areas to safeguard habitats, watersheds, and forest resilience. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), this rule currently applies to nearly 45 million acres. In June 2025, Secretary Rollins announced plans to rescind it, granting more discretion over road and logging decisions to local land managers. This potential rollback in New Mexico has sparked controversy as conservation groups argue it could jeopardize watershed integrity, wildlife corridors, and increase fire risk in critical forests.
According to a U.S. Forest Service inventory, Lincoln National Forest spans about 1,103,629 acres with 87% classified as forest land; within this area, roughly 24% is timberland while 76% is woodland. The inventory also indicates significant fuel loads due to substantial numbers of live trees, snags, and down dead wood under high density.
An analysis covering U.S. national forests from 1992 to 2024 found that wildfire-ignition density is highest near roads (7.4 fires per 1,000 hectares within 50 meters), compared to just 1.9 fires per 1,000 hectares in Inventoried Roadless Areas. This pattern holds broadly in the Southwest region.
Brown is also known for his leadership on policy issues as he submitted comments to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in his capacity as President of the Otero County Cattlemen’s Association in 2023. His family has been involved with the association since 1969. Although he never owned a ranch himself, Brown worked on family ranch operations and now manages cattle operations at Four Dinkus Ranch and Yates Ranches while holding both a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science and a Master of Arts in Agricultural Business from New Mexico State University.
The Otero County Cattlemen’s Association (OCCA) is dedicated to advancing and protecting the cattle industry by advocating solutions to industry problems and providing a united voice for producers and feeders. The association regularly submits comments on state and federal land-use proposals and positions itself as a stakeholder in local land and grazing policy debates.
