“mature and old-growth forests act as powerful carbon sinks”
“adapt to a changing climate”
The comment
Attention: Director, Ecosystem Management Coordination
Re: Special Areas; Roadless Area Conservation (Proposed Rule)
Docket ID: FS-2025-0001
RIN: 0596-AD66
To Whom It May Concern,
I am writing in strong opposition to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s proposed rule to completely rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. As a Washington State resident and an avid outdoors person, I deeply value our state’s public lands and the irreplaceable recreation, ecological, and economic benefits they provide.
Washington is home to millions of acres of national forests, from the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie to the Okanogan-Wenatchee and the Colville. These inventoried roadless areas are the backbone of our thriving outdoor recreation economy, drawing hikers, backpackers, anglers, hunters, and climbers from across the region. Leaving these areas intact is essential for preserving the quiet, pristine backcountry experiences that are becoming increasingly rare.
Furthermore, keeping these lands roadless is vital for the region’s environmental and public health:
* Clean Water and Salmon Habitat: Washington's roadless areas protect the high-elevation headwaters of major rivers that provide clean drinking water to our communities and serve as critical spawning grounds for threatened salmon and steelhead populations. Road building leads to erosion and runoff that severely degrades these fragile aquatic habitats.
* Climate Resilience and Biodiversity: Our mature and old-growth forests act as powerful carbon sinks and provide contiguous, unfragmented corridors for wildlife like grizzly bears, wolves, and wolverines to adapt to a changing climate.
* Wildfire Mitigation: While fuel management is necessary, creating new roads through remote backcountry will not protect Washington's communities. Statistical data shows that human-caused wildfires are far more likely to spark near roads. The Forest Service should focus its limited resources on community-adjacent mitigation within the wildland-urban interface rather than expanding an already underfunded road maintenance backlog.
I urge the USDA and the Forest Service to listen to the people of Washington and the millions of Americans who rely on these lands. Please reject the proposed full rescission and keep the 2001 Roadless Rule fully intact.
Sincerely,
Katrina Knutson
Gig Harbor, WA 98335