Dear Secretary Rollins,
I am writing to urge the USDA to PRESERVE THE ROADLESS RULE and reject any proposal that would weaken or eliminate these important protections for our national forests.
Roadless areas are among the nation’s remaining large, relatively undisturbed forest landscapes. Their value extends far beyond their scenery. These forests help protect clean drinking water, sustain wildlife habitat, store carbon, and provide places for people to hike, camp, fish, ski, bike, forage, climb, and experience nature away from roads and development.
Allowing additional roads and development into these areas would come with lasting environmental costs. Roads can fragment habitat, facilitate the spread of invasive species, contribute to erosion and sedimentation, and disrupt wildlife. They also introduce human activity into landscapes that have remained relatively intact. In an era of increasing wildfire risk and a changing climate, maintaining connected and resilient forest ecosystems is increasingly important.
Once roads are constructed and forests are fragmented, restoring those landscapes to their original condition can be extremely difficult, if not impossible. The short-term benefits of opening additional roadless areas to development do not justify the long-term loss of ecological, recreational, and watershed values.
For these reasons, I oppose the proposed alternatives that would roll back protections under the Roadless Rule. I respectfully urge the USDA to maintain the existing rule and continue protecting the remaining roadless forests that provide clean water, wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities, carbon storage, and climate resilience for current and future generations.
Please leave the Roadless Rule in place.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
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,
Octavia Brooks
Austin, TX 78748-5892
obaustintx@gmail.com