“I am commenting to express my strong opposition to the Forest Service's proposal to rescind the Roadless Rule…”

I am commenting to express my strong opposition to the Forest Service's proposal to rescind the Roadless Rule. For the last 25 years, the Roadless Rule has safeguarded some of Georgia's wildest forests from unnecessary roadbuilding and harmful development. Rescinding the rule would harm these incredible public lands, outdoor recreation and the thousands of communities that rely on them. Roadless areas provide measurable and immeasurable benefits. They contribute to clean drinking water to downstream communities, such as Chatsworth, Ellijay, Blairsville, and Hiawassee in north Georgia. Roadless areas are home to cold, crystal-clear trout fishing streams, boast world-class hiking and mountain biking trails, support local businesses, provide habitat for at-risk animal species, and offer unmatched experiences for visitors looking to get away from the noise and commotion of roads. To rescind the Roadless Rule puts all these incredible benefits at risk. While the Forest Service has claimed that eliminating the Roadless Rule will help prevent wildfires, this is not true. Wildfires are four times more likely to start near a road than in a roadless forest. And the Roadless Rule already allows the Forest Service to do wildfire prevention work in roadless areas. In addition, the Forest Service cannot maintain the roads it already has. Roads are expensive to build and maintain, as shown by the agency's current $9 billion road maintenance backlog. Unmaintained roads can lead to landslides and lower water quality, which threatens the health of entire ecosystems. Also, unmaintained roads with perched culverts can block passage of wild fish. The agency can't afford what it has and should not worsen the situation by adding more roads, especially in these spectacularly wild places. I strongly urge you to oppose this reckless proposal and to keep the Roadless Rule in place, so that future generations of hikers, anglers, mountain bikers, hunters, climbers, birders, and paddlers can enjoy these amazing roadless places.