As a researcher who studies forest ecology, it is vitally important that we limit the amount of fragmentation that occurs in these forests to increase the resilience and ecosystem services our national forests provide. From a citizens standpoint, I have been traveling the U.S. the past few months and have primarily visited national forests including the Ozark NF, Uinta NF, Boise NF, Willamette NF, and Sequoia NF. These are beautiful places that support beautiful and diverse ecosystems that are a treasure for all Americans. Please do not tarnish the beauty and ecology of these places by dismantling the Roadless Area Conservation Rule. We all benefit from this rule, even though the benefits may largely be indirect. We need to think about the sustainability of our public lands and keep this rule intact so future generations can have access to clean air, clean water, and beautiful places to recreate and research.
The Forest Service should keep the Roadless Rule intact exactly as it is. Do not weaken or repeal this critical policy.
National forests are the heart of our public lands. The Roadless Area Conservation Rule protects some of the wildest forests we have left, forests that protect critical wildlife habitat and drinking water for millions. Revoking the Roadless Rule puts landscapes, wildlife, and communities at risk.
Not only is the Roadless Rule good policy, it's also wildly popular across the country, with over 600,000 people submitting comments to the US Forest Service last year in support of keeping the rule in place. And more than 20 years ago, the American people overwhelmingly called for our national forests to be protected for future generations. Revoking the Roadless Rule would destroy the natural inheritance we leave for our children.