I'm am commenting in opposition to removing the Roadless Area Conservation aka 2001 Roadless Rule. This is an important national conservation policy that should stand as written. Here is what will be lost if the Roadless Rule is rescinded:
Clean Water: Protects drinking water sources and vital watersheds for tens of millions of Americans by preventing industrial erosion and stream sedimentation. Critical watersheds like the Rio Grande basin in New Mexico.
Wildlife Protection: Preserves unfragmented, natural habitats for hundreds of endangered, threatened, and vulnerable species, including native trout and mammals like the Mexican Grey Wolf. There are currently threats to the Endangered Species Act. This is another attempt to harm already dwindling wildlife habitats.
Wildfire Prevention: Limits human-caused ignitions and destructive activities, as scientific data shows wildfires are significantly less likely to start in roadless areas than in roaded forests. There are currently not enough "local" USFS employees to protect and manage the Cibola National Forest so presenting this as a way to make decisions at a local level isn't the truth.
Backcountry Recreation: Safeguards pristine landscapes that support outdoor activities like hiking, bird watching, hunting, and fishing. There are economic benefits to local communities that are greater than the quick extraction of limited resources. My family enjoys visiting the Cibola National Forest weekly and hiking from the road into areas within the roadless areas to explore the natural sounds of the forest. Through the last decade it has gotten harder and harder to escape ATVs when visiting the Mount Taylor region. This time away from day to day pressures brings all of us peace.
A quick AI search will show you that even it understands what will be destroyed by adding more roads into our public lands within the national forests.
Many public lands already allow mining, grazing, and logging. Humans depend on these resources for homes, food, jobs, etc. The roadless rule protects "other" areas of public lands from logging, grazing, and mining by not allowing roads. Determining what areas should be roadless or mixed use or strictly preserved is a carefully planned, scientific process so humans and other species get the most long term benefit.
The 2001 Roadless Rule followed that process and needs to remain as is for us and future generations.