“13% of roadless land currently protected experienced wildfires”
“as per the Trump administration's Federal Register filing”
What it names
Works cited
10.1038/s41467-024-53460-6
The comment
Repealing the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule will cause irreparable damage to our country. It will only serve to increase the amount of wildfires rather than decrease it. This study (doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-53460-6) explains how fragmenting forests into smaller areas via roads could actually directly result in an increased likelihood of extreme wildfires. What’s more, 13% of roadless land currently protected experienced wildfires of high or moderate severity between 1984 and 2024 as per the Trump administration’s Federal Register filing. The construction of roads would further exacerbate this risk. Not only would our beautiful forests, which are a source of pride for many Americans, be marred by these potential roads but they would also become much more dangerous to surrounding communities. I strongly object to this measure to remove protections from our public lands and urge the Department to reconsider.