The Mountaineers

I am an outdoor enthusiast who cherishes the backcountry recreation experiences provided by Roadless national forests across the Pacific Northwest and beyond. I’m writing to share my opposition to the administration’s effort to rescind the Roadless Area Conservation Rule. I oppose any plan alternative that rescinds Roadless protections and leaves our forests vulnerable to increased extraction and development through changes to local forest plans. Opening up backcountry forests to development would irreparably harm these beloved spaces and the sustainable outdoor access and recreation economy that depend on them. A sweeping rollback of the Roadless Rule is unpopular and unnecessary - 98% of public comments on the Notice of Intent opposing rolling back Roadless protections. Roadless protections are extremely important to the outdoor recreation community. Full rescission of the Rule would affect 45 million acres of national forests, including 2 million acres in Washington state, rolling back protections on 25,121 miles of trails, 8,659 climbing routes, 768 miles of whitewater, and 10,794 miles of mountain biking nationally. Roadless areas are especially important to my own outdoor experiences on federally managed public lands, including programs and activities facilitated by outdoor education providers like The Mountaineers. The Roadless Rule protects our country’s forests and the values they support. In addition to backcountry recreation, Roadless Areas also protect the following values: -Intact old-growth forests for environmental health and climate resilience -Indigenous cultural rights and lifeways -Wildlife habitat -Clean drinking water for gateway communities At a time when public lands and communities across the West are increasingly impacted by large and intense wildfires, this policy is a step in the wrong direction. Opening intact backcountry forests to new roads is not a wildfire solution. It’s a move that would lead to more fire starts and more wildfires. According to the Forest Service, 9 out of 10 wildfires are caused by people. In addition, I also oppose a partial recession, including any attempt to exempt currently roaded areas and the Wildland Urban Interface. This type of recession would result in the loss of protections for approximately 50% of Roadless national forests. The Roadless Rule already includes appropriate exceptions to ensure local land managers have flexibility to address wildfire risk. Thank you for considering my comment.