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Subject: I oppose new road construction in our National Forests
I am writing as a 68-year-old resident of Louisville, Kentucky who hikes and enjoys our public forests, and I strongly oppose any proposal to build new roads or expand road networks in our National Forests.
Roads do lasting damage that cannot be undone:
They fragment wildlife habitat, increase erosion and sediment in our streams, and spread invasive species.
They are extremely expensive to maintain. The Forest Service already has a multi-billion dollar backlog on existing roads. We should not add more.
Our forests are most valuable when they are intact, quiet, and wild. Roadless areas protect clean drinking water, old growth, and the solitude that so many of us seek for health and spiritual renewal.
Once a road is built, the character of the forest changes forever - with more noise, litter, illegal dumping, and industrial use.
I urge you to keep our roadless areas roadless, prioritize decommissioning failing and unneeded roads, and protect intact forests for future generations, not for short-term timber or development access.
Please record my comment as OPPOSED to new forest roads.
Thank you for considering public input.
US Citizen
Louisville, KY 40202