U.S. Forest Service
Ecosystem Management Coordination
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20250
Submitted electronically via Regulations.gov
Subject: Opposition to Proposed Rescission of the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule (Docket No. FS-2025-0001 / RIN 0596-AD66)
Dear Forest Service Officials,
I am writing to register my profound opposition to the agency’s proposal to dismantle the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. This rule successfully safeguards nearly 45 million acres of our nation's wildest and most ecologically vital public lands. As a resident of Monterey, California, and an active steward of our public lands, I am deeply concerned by how this policy reversal threatens the Los Padres National Forest and the vast networks of wild national forest lands throughout the western states.
The diverse landscapes of the Los Padres National Forest—stretching from the rugged Big Sur coast to the interior backcountry—exemplify why roadless protections are vital. These unroaded areas support an essential multi-use ecosystem. They protect critical watersheds that supply clean drinking water to our local communities, serve as refuge for endangered species like the California condor, and provide irreplaceable spaces for hiking, backpacking, camping, and open-space recreation. Opening these pristine terrains to further road building and industrial development directly threatens the quality of life that these forests provide for my family, my community, and the greater public.
This threat extends far beyond California. As highlighted in robust opposition letters filed by coalitions of state Attorneys General—led notably by California Attorney General Rob Bonta and joined by counterparts across multiple western states—the arguments used to justify this rollback run directly counter to established science. The U.S. Department of Agriculture claims that eliminating roadless protections will aid in wildfire mitigation. However, as state legal officers and forest researchers emphasize, new road construction introduces permanent human-ignition sources into remote terrain, multiplying wildfire risks rather than subduing them. Fragmenting these wild spaces across the American West will degrade headwater watersheds, disrupt vital wildlife corridors, and compromise massive natural carbon sinks essential for stabilizing our climate.
For my family and millions of Americans across the West, these national forests are not abstract resource inventories; they are the quiet places where we connect with nature and find accessible outdoor recreation. The public good derived from intact, wild ecosystems vastly outweighs any short-term commercial extraction value. I strongly urge the Department of Agriculture to listen to the sound legal and scientific warnings raised by state Attorneys General and immediately withdraw this proposal.