“I urge you to rescind the proposal discussed in FS-2025-0001-223869, Special Areas: Roadless Area…”

I urge you to rescind the proposal discussed in FS-2025-0001-223869, Special Areas: Roadless Area Conservation, because of the irrevocable devastation it would cause. Once roads are built, there is no way to undo the damage. According to the analysis in the DEIS, elimination of the Roadless Rule across 45 million acres nationwide would result in a loss of up to $9 million a year from lowered visitor spending, especially hurting local communities, 327 ESA-listed species and 71 critical habitats would be negatively impacted, threaten Tribal sacred and archeological sites, exacerbate the Forest Service’s estimated maintenance backlog of over $8.6 billion covering the existing 370,000 miles of roads, and could actually increase fire risk. More roads will result in more human-caused fires in the backcountry. Research shows that more than 60 percent of human-caused fires on national forests in the Lower 48 states are ignited within 1/8-mile of the nearest road, and 95 percent are ignited within 1/2-mile. Agencies already have authority to manage fuels and fight fires in roadless areas, including the construction of roads for emergency situations. There is no reason to repeal the Roadless Rule. Appalachia is particularly susceptible to flooding. Our trees slow the flow of water during heavy rains, holding the soil in place, preventing erosion and allowing more water to be absorbed by the soil and vegetation. Evidence shows that past deforestation of areas for mining and logging significantly contributes to the severity of flooding in the region. Removing the Roadless Rule protections will put Appalachian communities in further danger of flooding and landslides, especially as climate change increases heavy rainfall and flooding in the region. Given the widespread multifaceted harms repealing the Roadless Rule would cause it is imperative that it be improved by: Eliminating the logging loopholes. Logging does not improve anything - it only causes degradation. Instead of the 2000 EIS estimated ~ 1,400 acres of logging in roadless areas across the nation annually, on average from 2008-2018, there has been 3,200 acres of inventoried roadless logging annually in Montana alone. The majority of which was from using Roadless Rule loopholes. Eliminating livestock grazing in our inventoried roadless areas. Livestock grazing spreads invasive grasses that exacerbate wildfires, displaces wildlife, destroys habitat, and pollutes clean water. Despite being only four percent of livestock production in this nation, livestock grazing is pervasive on nearly 250 million acres of our public lands. The Forest Service is clandestinely restocking vacant grazing allotments with cattle, including in roadless areas and Wilderness, without public knowledge or participation. Restricting motorized and mechanized use in our inventoried roadless areas. Research shows that motorized and mechanized access (on roads, trails, or over the snow) harm wildlife, from elk to grizzly bears. Extend the provisions of this strengthened national rule to Idaho and Colorado, which currently have less protective rules. Thank you