FS-2025-0001-468915

I am strongly opposed to rescinding the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. As a child, I found profound peace hiking and camping with my family in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. I have cherished memories of exploring those forests and seeing bears, deer, and other wildlife. Those experiences gave me a lifelong appreciation for wild places and the sense of wonder that comes from being surrounded by nature. Today, I am a mom to two little boys who are learning to care for our environment and share in the beauty of our mountains. I want them—and future generations—to have the opportunity to make those same memories. Protecting roadless forests from new roads and logging is essential for healthy wildlife habitat and ecological connectivity. The U.S. Forest Service has documented that roads can fragment habitat, affect wildlife and aquatic ecosystems, and facilitate the spread of invasive species (Gucinski et al., 2001). Research has also found that non-native plants were twice as common near roads, while finding no evidence that roadless areas inherently prevent wildfire prevention activities (Healey, 2020). I recognize that the proposed rescission would return more management authority to individual national forests. However, local management should not come at the expense of consistent protections for some of our nation's last remaining intact forests. If exceptions are needed for public safety, wildfire response, or other specific purposes, they should be narrowly tailored rather than eliminating broad protections for roadless areas. Please retain the Roadless Rule—or adopt an alternative that provides equally strong or stronger protections. Once these forests are fragmented by roads and logging, we cannot easily restore what is lost. I want my sons to inherit forests where they can hike, camp, see wildlife, and experience the same peace and wonder that shaped my childhood. Please protect these places for them and for generations to come. References Gucinski, H., Furniss, M. J., Ziemer, R. R., & Brookes, M. H. (2001). Forest roads: A synthesis of scientific information (General Technical Report PNW-GTR-509). U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. Healey, S. P. (2020). Long-term forest health implications of roadlessness. Environmental Research Letters, 15, 104023. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aba031