Opposes rescissionA0 noneSubstance 5/24Posted September 12, 2026 On Regulations.gov
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Dear Special Areas: Roadless Area Conservation,
Dear
As a former U.S. Forest Service Hydrologic Technician across 5 National Forests in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, South Dakota, and California, I've experience the the wonder that lies in the depths of our public lands beyond the end of a road more than many of my fellow citizens. I've walked up on wolf pups in Washington, had a 200lb mountain walk up on me in Oregon, greeted a mother black bear and two cubs on a field survey, sprung bull moose while collecting water quality samples, night snorkeled a restored floodplain to find bull trout, and more. I completed my graduate research on hydrologic impacts of forest management on Lassen National Forest (Hydrologic Impacts of Forest Thinning: A Plot Scale Analysis, Serpa 2020, University of Nevada Reno). I'm an avid outdoor enthusiast, adventuring by foot, by bike, by packraft, and by rope, who takes every opportunity to share my love for our public lands with my two children who are 1 and 5 years old, especially in the Prescott, Kaibab, and Coconino National Forests near our home in Prescott Valley AZ. I have an intimate knowledge and connection to what lies beyond the end of the roads in our nation's Roadless Areas.
In response to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's announcement that it is proposing a complete rollback of the 2001 Roadless Rule, I ask you to resist making this change. This is a move that, if finalized, would be the largest loss of protections for rivers on federal lands in U.S. history.
Since 2001, the Roadless Rule has protected millions of acres of national forest lands that form the headwaters of some of the nation's most critical drinking water sources.
Roadless areas safeguard more than 80,000 miles of rivers and streams, protecting fish and wildlife habitat and helping ensure clean drinking water for more than 25 million Americans, including residents of Denver, Atlanta, and Bozeman.
This repeal threatens a conservation legacy that benefits all Americans. I urge you to conserve our nation's roadless forests and keep the Roadless Area Conservation Rule in place.
I urge you on behalf of me, but more over on behalf of my 1 and 5 year old daughters, so that they may have the opportunity to experience what lies beyond the “end of the road” throughout their lives, and their children's lives. Even if they choose not to go and see these places, they will be among the millions of Americans who rely on the water and other and environmental services these Roadless Areas provide. Please DO NOT rescind the Roadless Area Conservation Rule. We all need these places to remain protected, so take action on my behalf, and on behalf of my daughters to uphold their protection.
Please reconsider this action, and keep the Roadless Rule as it is: a significant protection for rivers, clean water, and wildlife across the country.
Sincerely,
Benjamin Serpa
7658 N Winding Trl
Prescott Valley, AZ
86315
bserpa213@gmail.com
Sincerely,
Benjamin Serpa