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Dear Secretary Rollins, Roadless forests support human and animal life effortlessly and beautifully. I strongly oppose the USDA’s proposal to eliminate or weaken the Roadless Rule. This reckless action would devastate public lands, waste taxpayer resources, and undermine the water, wildlife habitat, art and spiritual inspiration, and recreation opportunities on which millions of Americans depend. Roadless forests represent some of the most intact, resilient ecosystems left in our country. They filter and store clean drinking water, provide refuge for vulnerable species, and serve as critical carbon sinks critical to mitigating the worsening impacts of climate change. People hike, forage, bike, fish, camp, ski, climb, and find solace in these remote places. Where roads are, there also go invasive species, fragmented wildlife habitat, and an erosion of the very ecological resilience we need in the face of a warming climate. You know what we need less of? Disastrous wildfires. More roads in the backcountry mean more fires: research shows wildfires are more likely to ignite near roads. Once roads and clearcuts fragment these landscapes, the damage is permanent. Weakening or repealing the Roadless Rule would be a grave mistake. I do not support any of the proposed action alternatives that roll back the Roadless Rule. I urge the USDA to abandon this misguided effort and instead strengthen its commitment to protecting America’s roadless forests for the clean water, climate resilience, recreation, and biodiversity they provide. Leave the Roadless Rule in place. References: Aplet, G.H., Hartger, P. & Dietz, M.S. Three-decade record of contiguous-U.S. national forest wildfires indicates increased density of ignitions near roads. fire ecol 22, 8 (2026) https://doi.org/10.1186/s42408-026-00450-2 Mildrexler, D.J., Berner, L.T., Law, B.E. & Both, M.S. Roadless rule rescission threatens highest integrity forest ecosystems in the United States. Biological Conservation 321, 111950 (2026) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111950 Sincerely, Marie Sweetman Ypsilanti, MI 48198 mariesweetman@gmail.com

Secretary Rollins, I strongly oppose the USDA’s proposal to eliminate or weaken the Roadless Rule. Removing this rule would devastate public lands, and waste taxpayer resources. It would create more opportunities for wildfire, trash and pollution, and damage the water, wildlife habitat, and recreation sites on which millions of Americans depend. Roadless forests represent some of the most intact, resilient ecosystems left in our country. They filter and store clean drinking water, provide refuge for vulnerable species, and store carbon. People hike, forage, bike, fish, camp, ski, and climb in these remote places. Roads spread invasive species, fragment wildlife habitat, and erode ecological resilience which we need in the face of a warming climate. More roads in the backcountry also mean more fires: research shows wildfires are more likely to ignite near roads. Once roads and clearcuts fragment these landscapes, the damage is permanent. I do not support any of the proposed action alternatives that roll back the Roadless Rule. I urge the USDA to abandon this misguided effort and instead strengthen its commitment to protecting America’s roadless forests for the clean water, climate resilience, recreation, and biodiversity they provide. Leave the Roadless Rule in place. Protect forests and the roadless rule! References: Aplet, G.H., Hartger, P. & Dietz, M.S. Three-decade record of contiguous-U.S. national forest wildfires indicates increased density of ignitions near roads. fire ecol 22, 8 (2026) https://doi.org/10.1186/s42408-026-00450-2 Mildrexler, D.J., Berner, L.T., Law, B.E. & Both, M.S. Roadless rule rescission threatens highest integrity forest ecosystems in the United States. Biological Conservation 321, 111950 (2026) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111950 Sincerely, Tara Hershberger Portland, OR 97213 tara.lyn.hershberger@gmail.com

Dear Secretary Rollins, Roadless forests represent some of the most intact, resilient ecosystems left in our country. They filter and store clean drinking water, provide refuge for vulnerable species, and serve as critical carbon sinks critical to mitigating the worsening impacts of climate change. People hike, forage, bike, fish, camp, ski, climb, and find solace in these remote places. I strongly oppose the USDA’s proposal to eliminate or weaken the Roadless Rule. This reckless, destructive action would devastate public lands, waste taxpayer resources, and undermine the water, wildlife habitat, and recreation opportunities on which millions of Americans depend. Roads spread invasive species, fragment wildlife habitat, and erode the very ecological resilience we need in the face of a warming climate. More roads in the backcountry also mean more fires: research shows wildfires are more likely to ignite near roads. Once roads and clearcuts fragment these landscapes, the damage is permanent. Weakening or repealing the Roadless Rule would be a grave mistake. On top of the economic and environmental repercussions of this proposal, I also am personally attached to the wilderness of this nation. My parents met working outside, and endeavored to make it a part of my childhood. In recent years, I have realized I have only ever spent time in young, previously clear cut forests, which are usually ecologically unstable and lack biodiversity. Every day, I mourn for the shaded, layer canopies of forests that have had life cycles beyond my ancestors arrival in America, beyond my first human ancestors, beyond the age of teeth. The forests I may never know, the forests I may need to venture for days on foot to find. These forests become rarer with each passing day in our hunger for selfish progress, but the Roadless Rule guards them from the hoard. Please keep these forests and their awe and ecosystem services for future generations, for future organisms seeking shade and roots and the old. I do not support any of the proposed action alternatives that roll back the Roadless Rule. I urge the USDA to abandon this misguided effort and instead strengthen its commitment to protecting America’s roadless forests for the clean water, climate resilience, recreation, and biodiversity they provide. Leave the Roadless Rule in place. References: Aplet, G.H., Hartger, P. & Dietz, M.S. Three-decade record of contiguous-U.S. national forest wildfires indicates increased density of ignitions near roads. fire ecol 22, 8 (2026) https://doi.org/10.1186/s42408-026-00450-2 Mildrexler, D.J., Berner, L.T., Law, B.E. & Both, M.S. Roadless rule rescission threatens highest integrity forest ecosystems in the United States. Biological Conservation 321, 111950 (2026) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111950 Sincerely, Matthew Schrader Patton Bend, OR 97703-5693 legotiger27@gmail.com

Dear Secretary Rollins, I strongly oppose the USDA’s proposal to eliminate or weaken the Roadless Rule. This reckless action would devastate public lands, waste taxpayer resources, and undermine the water, wildlife habitat, and recreation opportunities on which millions of Americans depend. Coastal Alaska supports some of the last remaining old growth forest that is intricately connected to some of the last remaining Pacific salmon populations. What happens on the land impacts the water-like we have see elsewhere, when we remove the trees, we eventually lose the salmon. Building roads to log old growth trees further degrade salmon habitat and impact fish passage for adult and juvenile salmon. Roadless forests represent some of the most intact, resilient ecosystems left in our country. They filter and store clean drinking water, provide refuge for vulnerable species, and serve as critical carbon sinks critical to mitigating the worsening impacts of climate change. My family and community hike, forage, bike, fish, camp, ski, climb, and find solace in these remote places. Roads spread invasive species, fragment wildlife habitat, and erode the very ecological resilience we need in the face of a warming climate. Weakening or repealing the Roadless Rule would be a grave mistake. I do not support any of the proposed action alternatives that roll back the Roadless Rule. I urge the USDA to abandon this misguided effort and instead strengthen its commitment to protecting America’s roadless forests for the clean water, climate resilience, recreation, and biodiversity they provide. Leave the Roadless Rule in place. Sincerely, Kate Morse Cordova, AK 99574-0437 katealexander11@hotmail.com

Dear Secretary Rollins, I strongly oppose the USDA’s proposal to eliminate or weaken the Roadless Rule. This reckless action would devastate public lands, waste taxpayer resources, and undermine the water, wildlife habitat, and recreation opportunities on which millions of Americans depend. Roadless forests and pristine untouched undeveloped ecosystems need to be preserved. When everything in nature fails because of over development and lack of respect for our environment it will be people who backed propositions like this responsible for it. We need protected resources like these forests. Take a look within and realize this is an absolutely terrible idea. Forests do not need roads paved all through them and more human destruction of natural wildlife habitat. I do not support any of the proposed action alternatives that roll back the Roadless Rule. I urge the USDA to abandon this misguided effort and instead strengthen its commitment to protecting America’s roadless forests for the clean water, climate resilience, recreation, and biodiversity they provide. Leave the Roadless Rule in place. References: Aplet, G.H., Hartger, P. & Dietz, M.S. Three-decade record of contiguous-U.S. national forest wildfires indicates increased density of ignitions near roads. fire ecol 22, 8 (2026) https://doi.org/10.1186/s42408-026-00450-2 Mildrexler, D.J., Berner, L.T., Law, B.E. & Both, M.S. Roadless rule rescission threatens highest integrity forest ecosystems in the United States. Biological Conservation 321, 111950 (2026) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111950 Sincerely, Caleb Vroegindewey Jacksonville, FL 32207 schooner2346@gmail.com

I strongly oppose the USDA’s proposal to eliminate or weaken the Roadless Rule. I do not support any of the proposed action alternatives that roll back the Roadless Rule. I urge the USDA to abandon this misguided effort and instead strengthen its commitment to protecting America’s roadless forests for the clean water, climate resilience, recreation, and biodiversity they provide. Leave the Roadless Rule in place. Sincerely, Geoff Hathaway Saint Paul, MN 55101 hathaway.geoff@gmail.com