The Public Record · Docket FS-2025-0001

Read the comments.

Every public comment on the proposed rescission of the Roadless Rule, sorted by what it talks about. Pick a topic, then narrow by position, by how hard the comment is for the agency to set aside, or by how substantive it is. Each comment is shown in full, as filed. How comments are classified and scored is explained in the Comment Analysis.

1 unique comments11 submissions

Position

Opposes rescission 100.0%

Answerability

A1 strong 0
A2 moderate 0
A3 weak 0
A0 none 1

Substance /24

Median 5middle half 5–5 · 1 scored

Topics raised

11 submissions in this letter's group · showing 1–11Clear all filters

Opposes rescissionA0 noneSubstance 5/24Sep 21, 2026FS-2025-0001-460980
PLACESTANDDOCGAPEVIDASKALTLAW
Campaign — One letter sent by 10 or more people, copied or lightly reworded. See the letter, its submissions and topics.One of 11 submissions in its group.
I oppose rescinding the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. The Green and White Mountain National Forests are an essential part of the Connecticut River watershed and provide important headwater forests, clean water (including drinking water), wildlife habitat, biodiversity, climate resilience, and recreational opportunities. Growing up and living near these areas was essential to my development and appreciation of the natural world. Roadless forests help safeguard water quality by maintaining intact soils, forest cover, buffers, wetlands, and natural drainage and filtration systems. Intensifying development by building roads and increasing logging in these areas could exacerbate erosion, sedimentation, runoff, habitat fragmentation, and other threats to water resources. Not to mention a majority of forest fire ignitions start near roads. And roads also increase the introductions of invasive species which can wreck havoc on ecosystems and cause widespread economic harm. Please do not make changes or rescind the Roadless Rule! Select Alternative 1 - No action, in the Draft Environmental Impact statement, to maintain strong, consistent protections for roadless areas in the White and Green Mountain National Forests. Protect these forests and downriver communities for clean water, healthy rivers, wildlife, recreation, and future generations. Thank you for the opportunity to comment.
Full analysis of this comment →
Opposes rescissionA0 noneSubstance 5/24Sep 18, 2026FS-2025-0001-446571
PLACESTANDDOCGAPEVIDASKALTLAW
Campaign — One letter sent by 10 or more people, copied or lightly reworded. See the letter, its submissions and topics.One of 11 submissions in its group.
Dear USDA Forest Service Acting Director of Ecosystem Management Coordination, As a Vermonter, I respectfully oppose rescinding the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. The Green and White Mountain National Forests are an essential part of the Connecticut River watershed and provide important headwater forests, clean water (including drinking water), wildlife habitat, biodiversity, climate resilience, and recreational opportunities. Roadless forests help safeguard water quality by maintaining intact soils, forest cover, buffers, wetlands, and natural drainage and filtration systems. Intensifying development by building roads and increasing logging in these areas could exacerbate erosion, sedimentation, runoff, habitat fragmentation, and other threats to water resources. Please do not make changes or rescind the Roadless Rule! Select Alternative 1 - No action, in the Draft Environmental Impact statement, to maintain strong, consistent protections for roadless areas in the White and Green Mountain National Forests. Protect these forests and downriver communities for clean water, healthy rivers, wildlife, recreation, and future generations. Thank you for the opportunity to comment.
Full analysis of this comment →
Opposes rescissionA0 noneSubstance 5/24Sep 14, 2026FS-2025-0001-394797
PLACESTANDDOCGAPEVIDASKALTLAW
Campaign — One letter sent by 10 or more people, copied or lightly reworded. See the letter, its submissions and topics.One of 11 submissions in its group.
Dear Joshua White, USDA Forest Service Acting Director of Ecosystem Management Coordination, I respectfully oppose rescinding the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. The Green and White Mountain National Forests are an essential part of the Connecticut River watershed and provide important headwater forests, clean water (including drinking water), wildlife habitat, biodiversity, climate resilience, and recreational opportunities. Roadless forests help safeguard water quality by maintaining intact soils, forest cover, buffers, wetlands, and natural drainage and filtration systems. Intensifying development by building roads and increasing logging in these areas could exacerbate erosion, sedimentation, runoff, habitat fragmentation, and other threats to water resources. Please do not make changes or rescind the Roadless Rule! Select Alternative 1 - No action, in the Draft Environmental Impact statement, to maintain strong, consistent protections for roadless areas in the White and Green Mountain National Forests. Protect these forests and downriver communities for clean water, healthy rivers, wildlife, recreation, and future generations. Thank you for the opportunity to comment. Sincerely, Anne Faulkner
Full analysis of this comment →
Opposes rescissionA0 noneSubstance 5/24Sep 12, 2026FS-2025-0001-342594
PLACESTANDDOCGAPEVIDASKALTLAW
Campaign — One letter sent by 10 or more people, copied or lightly reworded. See the letter, its submissions and topics.This comment stands for all 11 submissions in its group.
Dear Joshua White, USDA Forest Service Acting Director of Ecosystem Management Coordination, I respectfully oppose rescinding the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. The Green and White Mountain National Forests are an essential part of the Connecticut River watershed and provide important headwater forests, clean water (including drinking water), wildlife habitat, biodiversity, climate resilience, and recreational opportunities. Roadless forests help safeguard water quality by maintaining intact soils, forest cover, buffers, wetlands, and natural drainage and filtration systems. Intensifying development by building roads and increasing logging in these areas could exacerbate erosion, sedimentation, runoff, habitat fragmentation, and other threats to water resources. Please do not make changes or rescind the Roadless Rule! Select Alternative 1 - No action, in the Draft Environmental Impact statement, to maintain strong, consistent protections for roadless areas in the White and Green Mountain National Forests. Protect these forests and downriver communities for clean water, healthy rivers, wildlife, recreation, and future generations. Thank you for the opportunity to comment. Sincerely, Amber M. Lively
Full analysis of this comment →
Opposes rescissionA0 noneSubstance 6/24Sep 12, 2026FS-2025-0001-342798
PLACESTANDDOCGAPEVIDASKALTLAW
Campaign — One letter sent by 10 or more people, copied or lightly reworded. See the letter, its submissions and topics.One of 11 submissions in its group.
Dear Joshua White, USDA Forest Service Acting Director of Ecosystem Management Coordination, I respectfully oppose rescinding the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. The Green and White Mountain National Forests are an essential part of the Connecticut River watershed and provide important headwater forests, clean water (including drinking water), wildlife habitat, biodiversity, climate resilience, and recreational opportunities. Roadless forests help safeguard water quality by maintaining intact soils, forest cover, buffers, wetlands, and natural drainage and filtration systems. Intensifying development by building roads and increasing logging in these areas could exacerbate erosion, sedimentation, runoff, habitat fragmentation, and other threats to water resources. As a Massachusetts resident, I am a regular hiker in the Green and White Mountains in my neighboring states of Vermont and New Hampshire. I'm also deeply concerned about the health of the Connecticut River watershed - I can see the Connecticut River from my front door, and have participated in multiple volunteer community science and conservation activities through the Connecticut River Conservancy. Please do not make changes or rescind the Roadless Rule. Select Alternative 1 - No action, in the Draft Environmental Impact statement, to maintain strong, consistent protections for roadless areas in the White and Green Mountain National Forests. Protect these forests and downriver communities for clean water, healthy rivers, wildlife, recreation, and future generations. Thank you for the opportunity to comment. Sincerely, Michelle Geoffroy Turners Falls, MA
Full analysis of this comment →
Opposes rescissionA0 noneSubstance 5/24Sep 12, 2026FS-2025-0001-342866
PLACESTANDDOCGAPEVIDASKALTLAW
Campaign — One letter sent by 10 or more people, copied or lightly reworded. See the letter, its submissions and topics.One of 11 submissions in its group.
I respectfully oppose rescinding the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. The Green and White Mountain National Forests are an essential part of the Connecticut River watershed and provide important headwater forests, clean water (including drinking water), wildlife habitat, biodiversity, climate resilience, and recreational opportunities. Roadless forests help safeguard water quality by maintaining intact soils, forest cover, buffers, wetlands, and natural drainage and filtration systems. Intensifying development by building roads and increasing logging in these areas could exacerbate erosion, sedimentation, runoff, habitat fragmentation, and other threats to water resources. Please do not make changes or rescind the Roadless Rule! Select Alternative 1 - No action, in the Draft Environmental Impact statement, to maintain strong, consistent protections for roadless areas in the White and Green Mountain National Forests. Protect these forests and downriver communities for clean water, healthy rivers, wildlife, recreation, and future generations.
Full analysis of this comment →
Opposes rescissionA0 noneSubstance 5/24Sep 12, 2026FS-2025-0001-343755
PLACESTANDDOCGAPEVIDASKALTLAW
Campaign — One letter sent by 10 or more people, copied or lightly reworded. See the letter, its submissions and topics.One of 11 submissions in its group.
Dear Joshua White, USDA Forest Service Acting Director of Ecosystem Management Coordination, I respectfully oppose rescinding the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. The Green and White Mountain National Forests are an essential part of the Connecticut River watershed and provide important headwater forests, clean water (including drinking water), wildlife habitat, biodiversity, climate resilience, and recreational opportunities. Roadless forests help safeguard water quality by maintaining intact soils, forest cover, buffers, wetlands, and natural drainage and filtration systems. Intensifying development by building roads and increasing logging in these areas could exacerbate erosion, sedimentation, runoff, habitat fragmentation, and other threats to water resources. Please do not make changes or rescind the Roadless Rule! Select Alternative 1 - No action, in the Draft Environmental Impact statement, to maintain strong, consistent protections for roadless areas in the White and Green Mountain National Forests. Protect these forests and downriver communities for clean water, healthy rivers, wildlife, recreation, and future generations. Thank you for the opportunity to comment.
Full analysis of this comment →
Opposes rescissionA0 noneSubstance 6/24Sep 12, 2026FS-2025-0001-343760
PLACESTANDDOCGAPEVIDASKALTLAW
Campaign — One letter sent by 10 or more people, copied or lightly reworded. See the letter, its submissions and topics.One of 11 submissions in its group.
Dear Joshua White, USDA Forest Service Acting Director of Ecosystem Management Coordination, I respectfully oppose rescinding the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. The Green and White Mountain National Forests are an essential part of the Connecticut River watershed and provide important headwater forests, clean water (including drinking water), wildlife habitat, biodiversity, climate resilience, and recreational opportunities. Roadless forests help safeguard water quality by maintaining intact soils, forest cover, buffers, wetlands, and natural drainage and filtration systems. Intensifying development by building roads and increasing logging in these areas could exacerbate erosion, sedimentation, runoff, habitat fragmentation, and other threats to water resources. My family and I have spent many wonderful hours backpacking in the White and Green Mountain ranges - it is the roadless nature of these forests that makes them the most wonderful and productive - allowing creatures that require interior forest to thrive, purifying our water supply, and storing carbon while filtering our amazing air. Please do not make changes or rescind the Roadless Rule! Select Alternative 1 - No action, in the Draft Environmental Impact statement, to maintain strong, consistent protections for roadless areas in the White and Green Mountain National Forests. Protect these forests and downriver communities for clean water, healthy rivers, wildlife, recreation, and future generations. Thank you for the opportunity to comment. Sincerely, Judy McKinley Brewer
Full analysis of this comment →
Opposes rescissionA0 noneSubstance 5/24Sep 12, 2026FS-2025-0001-344255
PLACESTANDDOCGAPEVIDASKALTLAW
Campaign — One letter sent by 10 or more people, copied or lightly reworded. See the letter, its submissions and topics.One of 11 submissions in its group.
"Dear Joshua White, USDA Forest Service Acting Director of Ecosystem Management Coordination, I respectfully oppose rescinding the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. The Green and White Mountain National Forests are an essential part of the Connecticut River watershed and provide important headwater forests, clean water (including drinking water), wildlife habitat, biodiversity, climate resilience, and recreational opportunities. Roadless forests help safeguard water quality by maintaining intact soils, forest cover, buffers, wetlands, and natural drainage and filtration systems. Intensifying development by building roads and increasing logging in these areas could exacerbate erosion, sedimentation, runoff, habitat fragmentation, and other threats to water resources. Please do not make changes or rescind the Roadless Rule! Select Alternative 1 - No action, in the Draft Environmental Impact statement, to maintain strong, consistent protections for roadless areas in the White and Green Mountain National Forests. Protect these forests and downriver communities for clean water, healthy rivers, wildlife, recreation, and future generations. Please register my personal and communal opposition to the rescission of the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. Living in the Green Mountains of Vermont, and understanding the incredible value of unfragmented and undisturbed forest for the longterm wellbeing of everyone on the planet, this would be an incredible step backwards. Thank you for the opportunity to comment. Sincerely, RICHARD HOLSCHUH
Full analysis of this comment →
Opposes rescissionA0 noneSubstance 5/24Sep 12, 2026FS-2025-0001-363618
PLACESTANDDOCGAPEVIDASKALTLAW
Campaign — One letter sent by 10 or more people, copied or lightly reworded. See the letter, its submissions and topics.One of 11 submissions in its group.
Dear Joshua White, USDA Forest Service Acting Director of Ecosystem Management Coordination, As a Vermonter working in the conservation field, I respectfully oppose rescinding the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. The Green and White Mountain National Forests are an essential part of Vermont, including headwater forests, clean water (including drinking water), wildlife habitat, biodiversity, climate resilience, and recreational opportunities. As noted by the Connecticut River Conservancy, roadless forests help safeguard water quality by maintaining intact soils, forest cover, buffers, wetlands, and natural drainage and filtration systems. Intensifying development by building roads and increasing logging in these areas could exacerbate erosion, sedimentation, runoff, habitat fragmentation, and other threats to water resources. Please do not make changes or rescind the Roadless Rule! Select Alternative 1 - No action, in the Draft Environmental Impact statement, to maintain strong, consistent protections for roadless areas in the White and Green Mountain National Forests. Protect these forests and downriver communities for clean water, healthy rivers, wildlife, recreation, and future generations. Thank you for the opportunity to comment.
Full analysis of this comment →
Opposes rescissionA0 noneSubstance 5/24Sep 12, 2026FS-2025-0001-364148
PLACESTANDDOCGAPEVIDASKALTLAW
Campaign — One letter sent by 10 or more people, copied or lightly reworded. See the letter, its submissions and topics.One of 11 submissions in its group.
Dear Joshua White, USDA Forest Service Acting Director of Ecosystem Management Coordination, I firmly oppose rescinding the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. The Green and White Mountain National Forests are an essential part of the Connecticut River watershed and provide important headwater forests, clean water (including drinking water), wildlife habitat, biodiversity, climate resilience, and recreational opportunities. Roadless forests help safeguard water quality by maintaining intact soils, forest cover, buffers, wetlands, and natural drainage and filtration systems. Intensifying development by building roads and increasing logging in these areas could exacerbate erosion, sedimentation, runoff, habitat fragmentation, and other threats to water resources. Please do not make changes or rescind the Roadless Rule! Select Alternative 1 - No action, in the Draft Environmental Impact statement, to maintain strong, consistent protections for roadless areas in the White and Green Mountain National Forests. Protect these forests and downriver communities for clean water, healthy rivers, wildlife, recreation, and future generations. Thank you for you consideration, Sincerely, Dr. Ivor L. Miller
Full analysis of this comment →

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Please cite us. This analysis is the intellectual property of Roadless.org and Nicholas Holshouser. You are welcome to reproduce it — every reproduction must include this citation:

Roadless.org and Nicholas Holshouser, “2001 Roadless Rule Revision — Substantive Analysis,” https://roadless.org.

How it works. A large language model (an open-weight Qwen3.8 model) reads each substantive comment and copies, word for word, the passages that carry its analytical gap, evidence, request, alternative and connection to the place; it returns no scores. Code grades those passages 0–3 on eight dimensions — evidence, legal grounding, engagement with the environmental analysis, analytical gaps, alternatives, specific requests, position, and local knowledge — with legal grounding taken from a citation scan, not the model. For the strongest tenth on each side, the copied passages are checked against the comment and shown as exhibits. A comment counts as “substantive” when it clears a floor filter — it must show at least one substantive signal (a named entity, a specific citation, a stated analytical deficiency, or first-person testimony), which screens out one-line and purely conclusory submissions before any model scoring.

The full method. Every step, why it is done that way, its known limits and a glossary: Methodologies →

The data. The full canonical dataset — every comment on Docket FS-2025-0001 — is available from Regulations.gov's bulk download, the canonical source: https://www.regulations.gov/bulkdownload. Download the CSV directly (Regulations.gov keeps this link working until October 18, 2026): https://bulk-downloads.regulations.gov/mv4-z8fw-q5jx.csv.

Roadless.org — analysis of the public comment docket.
Media inquiries welcome — nicholas@wanderingnature.com.