I strongly oppose the USDA’s proposal to eliminate or weaken the Roadless Rule. Given this administration’s track record, I do not trust President Trump, his appointees, or this agency to safeguard our national forests or to put the public’s wellbeing ahead of political pressure. That is precisely why I am appealing directly to your moral responsibility — because these decisions will shape the future of our country’s most irreplaceable landscapes.
Roadless forests are among the last intact, resilient ecosystems we have left. They protect clean drinking water, shelter vulnerable wildlife, and store immense amounts of carbon that help buffer the worsening impacts of climate change. Millions of Americans rely on these places for recreation, subsistence, cultural connection, and the simple human need to find peace in nature.
Expanding roads into these areas would cause permanent harm. Roads fragment habitat, spread invasive species, degrade water quality, and undermine ecological resilience. They also increase wildfire ignition risk — a fact well‑documented in research. Once these landscapes are carved up by roads and clearcuts, they never recover their original integrity. Weakening or repealing the Roadless Rule would be a grave and irreversible mistake.
I do not support any of the proposed action alternatives that roll back the Roadless Rule. I urge the USDA to reject this misguided effort and instead strengthen its commitment to protecting America’s roadless forests — for the clean water, climate stability, wildlife habitat, and recreation opportunities they provide.
I am asking you to stand up for the citizens of this nation, for our wildlife, and for the environment we all depend on. Please choose stewardship over politics. Leave the Roadless Rule in place.
References:
Aplet, G.H., Hartger, P. & Dietz, M.S. Three-decade record of contiguous-U.S. national forest wildfires indicates increased density of ignitions near roads. fire ecol 22, 8 (2026) https://doi.org/10.1186/s42408-026-00450-2
Mildrexler, D.J., Berner, L.T., Law, B.E. & Both, M.S. Roadless rule rescission threatens highest integrity forest ecosystems in the United States. Biological Conservation 321, 111950 (2026) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111950
Sincerely,
Gerald Hallead
Traverse City, MI 49684-6605
photodude48@gmail.com