Read the comments.

As a firefighter, sportsman, and public lands owner in Nevada and Michigan, with respect I urge the rejection of this proposed roadless area rule. This rule would harm wildlife habitat and water quality in places my family and I use and care about like the Humboldt-Toiyabe NF, Coronado NF, Kaibab NF, Coconino NF, Inyo NF, Modoc NF, Umatilla NF, Huron-Manistee NF, Ottawa NF and Hiawatha NF and others. It will also likely increase risk of human-caused wildfires, most of which start near roads. This unwise, politically-motivated rule fails the broad public interest for conservation of US forests, watersheds and rural economies. Thank you, Daniel R Patterson, Indian River MI / Boulder City NV

Date: September 17, 2026 To: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service Subject: Public Comment Opposing the Rescission of the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule From: Kathryn Zdan Location: Sharon, Connecticut I. Personal Connection and Standing I am writing to express my strong opposition to the proposed rescission of the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule and to urge the U.S. Forest Service to select Alternative 1 (No Action), keeping the 2001 Roadless Rule fully intact. My personal connection to public lands spans from coast to coast. Growing up in California, annual family trips to the Modoc National Forest taught me to respect nature, navigate the wilderness, and build lifelong resilience and independence. Visits to Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks helped shape who I am today. Now living in Connecticut, I regularly hike sections of the Appalachian Trail, where access to protected, intact forests is vital to my mental and physical health. As an active volunteer with a local land trust—where I build and maintain trails using sustainable practices and manage invasive species—I understand firsthand the work required to steward healthy ecosystems. II. Significant Substantive Concerns with the Draft EIS and Proposed Rule 1. Exacerbation of Wildfire Risk and Public Safety Impacts Having lived in California as wildfires transitioned from occasional tragedies to predictable annual crises, I have witnessed friends lose homes and experienced weeks of dangerous, unbreathable air quality. The Draft EIS fails to adequately address how opening roadless areas will compound these hazards. Research indicates that human-caused ignitions are seven times higher on lands with roads than in roadless areas. Opening protected spaces invites increased ignition risks, threatening surrounding communities, wildland firefighters, livestock, and vulnerable populations who cannot shelter from hazardous smoke. 2. Fiscal Responsibility and Maintenance Backlog The Forest Service currently faces a $6.9 billion road and bridge maintenance backlog. Proposing to spend taxpayer resources on new road construction while failing to maintain existing infrastructure raises severe concerns regarding fiscal responsibility and operational management. The agency must prioritize maintaining its current road network over creating new, costly infrastructure liabilities. 3. Protection of Watersheds, Ecosystem Services, and Tribal Sovereignty Intact roadless areas provide irreplaceable ecosystem services—including clean drinking water for 24 million people, carbon sequestration, and critical wildlife habitat. Furthermore, I strongly oppose any action that undermines Tribal sovereignty or threatens sacred sites, treaty resources, and cultural places. Since lands have been removed from Native stewardship, hallmark measures of forest and habitat health have noticeably declined. Respecting Indigenous sovereignty and upholding Tribal input is essential for long-term ecological stability and public well-being. III. Requested Action The draft EIS fails to justify the long-term ecological, financial, and public safety costs of rescinding these protections. I formally request that the Forest Service abandon the proposed rescission entirely and adopt Alternative 1 (No Action) to ensure all inventoried roadless areas remain protected under the 2001 Roadless Rule. Respectfully submitted, Kathryn Zdan Sharon, Connecticut