To the Roadless Rule Rulemaking Team:
For an outdoor enthusiast who understands the difference between what is accessible now and what may be foreclosed by near-term administrative action, the proposed rescission of the 2001 Rule is not an abstraction — it is a regulatory change whose consequences I expect to observe directly within the landscape I use.
Regarding the Linville Gorge Addition in the Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina:
Timber harvest, associated road construction, and vegetation removal directly alter roadless character and degrade habitat quality.
Microclimate buffering recovers slowly after clearcutting. A 2025 study of boreal forests found that even-aged stands took roughly 30 years to recover the temperature-buffering capacity of unharvested forest. During that recovery period, the cooling effect of intact canopy is eliminated — exactly when species most need it during summer heat extremes (Starck et al. 2025). — Starck et al., 2025 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2025.110434)
Rescinding the Roadless Rule would open the Linville Gorge Addition, Pisgah National Forest to road construction and associated ground disturbance. The direct and indirect effects of that activity are precisely what makes a specific comment about this area necessary.
A foul waste of energy sources.
Rescinding the Rule opens the door to damage that won't be undone. Don't open it.
Warm Regards,
Geri Soll