“To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to express my strong opposition to the U.S. Forest Service’s proposal to…”

To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to express my strong opposition to the U.S. Forest Service’s proposal to repeal the 2001 Roadless Rule in North Carolina. Rescinding these federal protections places 172,000 acres of pristine, Inventoried Roadless Areas (IRAs) within the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests at immediate risk of commercial logging, industrial development, and habitat-fragmenting road construction. These backcountry areas—including critical watersheds and iconic landscapes like the Linville Gorge, Laurel Mountain, and the South Mills River—are invaluable to the state of North Carolina for several critical reasons: Watershed Protection and Climate Resilience: These 172,000 acres act as a vital, natural filtration system that supplies clean drinking water to hundreds of thousands of residents across Western North Carolina. Maintaining intact, unfragmented forest floors is our best natural defense against catastrophic soil erosion and severe downstream flooding, which increasingly threaten our mountain communities. Economic Impact on Tourism and Recreation: Western North Carolina’s multi-billion-dollar outdoor recreation economy relies directly on the wild, uninterrupted nature of these public lands. Opening these backcountry areas to industrial use will permanently degrade the world-class hiking, fly-fishing, and climbing experiences that draw visitors from around the globe and support local businesses. Irreplaceable Biodiversity: The Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests harbor unique, ancient ecosystems and endangered wildlife species that cannot survive the disruption brought by heavy machinery and road corridors. Relying solely on local, shifting forest management plans does not offer the permanent, ironclad security that the 2001 Roadless Rule provides. I urge the U.S. Forest Service and the Department of Agriculture to reject this rollback and maintain the full, existing federal protections for North Carolina's backcountry. Thank you for your time and consideration of these public comments.