This is the third installment in our series on “The Cost of Ignorance” : a set of campaigns spotlighting how the Trump administration is making America less safe, with the aim of inspiring more people to speak out. Research by Potential Energy and others shows that people are more motivated to speak up when they see how they are personally impacted.

This week, we’re focusing on the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), which recently moved to roll back a landmark conservation rule, stop funding wind and solar projects on farmland, and pursue a drastic departmental overhaul.

The USDA is forging ahead with the rescission of one of the most broadly supported, most-commented-on rules in government history—the roadless rule.

Since its establishment in 2001, this bedrock conservation policy has helped protect over 45 million acres of land in our national forests from roadbuilding for the purposes of logging and fossil fuel development. In turn, these protections help keep important waterways clean, prevent habitat and ecosystem degradation, and preserve the recreation spots that help drive tourism and bolster local economies.

So why get rid of it?

The USDA is asserting that the roadless rule hinders economic development and prevents responsible forest management, increasing wildfire risk. But the roadless rule already includes exemptions that make forest management possible—and experts agree that rescinding the rule will do substantially more harm than good. Logging interests will thrive at the expense of local communities and ecosystems, additional roadbuilding will actually increase wildfire risk, and the American people will be saddled with higher taxes to support roadwork.

Unfortunately, the department’s harmful actions don’t stop there.

In late August, Agriculture Secretary Rollins announced that the USDA would no longer fund wind and solar projects on farmland. It’s a completely unfounded move that will hurt farmers more than anyone else, jeopardizing a reliable source of income for rural communities at a time when climate change is already threatening farmer livelihoods.

However, the real kicker is the USDA’s surprise reorganization effort.

Secretary Rollins has proposed relocating over half of the staffers in Washington, D.C.—approximately 2,600 employees—to five regional hubs across the country. The department is justifying it as a necessary measure to bring staffers closer to their “core constituents,” but current employees have stated that this shift will only make it harder for them to provide services to the farmers and communities that rely on them. It would be a massive shift for an agency that’s already under significant strain, navigating funding freezes, program cancellations, and the loss of nearly 15,000 employees since January.

Which brings us to the age-old question: what can we do about it?

• Speak up. The USDA knows what they’re doing is unwanted and unpopular—the criminally short comment periods for the reorganization plan and roadless rule are testaments to that. However, even a brief public comment period is long enough for us to speak out against these harmful decisions and ensure our voices are heard.

• Encourage your elected officials to act. Democratic lawmakers have already introduced a bill that would codify the roadless rule into law, and Republicans and Democrats alike have challenged the Deputy Secretary of Agriculture over the USDA’s reorganization plan. Let’s encourage them to pass that bill, denounce these harmful decisions, and keep the pressure on!

• Amplify and celebrate victories when they happen. Trump’s USDA has lost some major battles—and it’s thanks to farmers and environmental organizations taking legal action. Efforts like these have not only prompted the USDA to restore climate-related webpages but also led to the reinstatement of grants that were terminated in error for farmers and communities. Wins like these set the stage for future victories—so let’s do our best to spread the word!

Raising our voices may not change the outcome of these harmful decisions. But by continuing to push back, we’re building a culture of resistance—and making it clear that we’re not going anywhere.

Join us as we take a stand!