“opposed to the idea of allowing road-building, extractive industries”
“areas filled with roads for logging and other extractive industries”
“infrastructure or extractive uses don't interfere”
What it names
Roadless areas
Carlton RidgeMill CreekWillow Creek
The comment
I am writing to express my opposition to the proposal to rescind the Roadless Area Conservation Rule (the Roadless Rule) which was enacted in 2001 to protect National Forest lands from new road construction as well as from new extractive efforts. I am an avid mountain biker, backcountry skier, angler, and general adventurer who loves spending time exploring the wild and accessible public lands on the National Forests that are available to me near my home in Missoula, Montana.
As an avid mountain biker, I am wholly opposed to the idea of allowing road-building, extractive industries, and selling off of public land from Roadless Areas. Because bikes are not permitted in congressionally designated Wilderness, the wild and remote backcountry trails in Roadless Areas have become the mountain bike community's version of Wilderness. Many areas close to Missoula would be negatively affected if the Roadless Rule were rescinded - like the Warm Spring complex of trails off of Lost Trail Pass, Palisades and Willow Creek trails in the Sapphire Mountains, Carlton Ridge and Mill Creek trails in the Northern Bitterroot Range, and the amazing Alpine 7 Trail in the Swan Mountain Range. These places are where mountain bikers seek a wilderness experience on a bike and it's where I go to connect with myself and with nature in a way that is not accessible in developed areas and areas filled with roads for logging and other extractive industries. Taking away the rule that protects the wild and remote character of these areas is unacceptable and will negatively impact the trails, the people who recreate on these trails, and the gateway communities who rely on recreation in these Roadless Areas as part of their economy.
I'd like the USDA to maintain the Roadless Area Conservation Rule. Please consider actively maintaining the undeveloped, backcountry character of Roadless Areas, recognizing that their value is rooted in a sense of remoteness, quietude, and connection to nature. Please also prioritize high-quality trail access and recreation experiences that sustain local economies and provide meaningful, low-impact outdoor adventure opportunities. Ensure balance rather than dominance in future resource development; so infrastructure or extractive uses don't interfere with or overwhelm the recreational and ecological values that define the Roadless Area landscapes.