I'm writing to express my strong opposition to the proposal to rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule across our National Forest System lands. The Roadless rule is vital to both the preservation of ecosystems, as well as to ensuring future generations can enjoy these lands as I have over the years. I urge you to maintain these critical protections.
Inventoried roadless areas represent some of the last remaining intact ecosystems in our country. They provide irreplaceable habitats for wildlife, safeguard critical migration corridors, protect old-growth forests, and secure pristine watersheds that supply clean drinking water. Allowing road construction and commercial timber harvesting in these areas risks fracturing these fragile habitats beyond repair at a time when ecological resilience is more critical than ever, and for what? So that a handful of people can profit while citizens lose access?
These wild undeveloped areas belong to all Americans. They provide unique opportunities for quiet recreation, backcountry hiking, hunting, fishing, and outdoor heritage that disappear once roads are cut and industrial activities begin. I live near the gateway to the southern Sierra Nevada and deeply value having access to untamed landscapes like the Kings River and Mill Creek roadless areas in the Sequoia National Forest. Further, it is my belief that the generations that come after me should get to enjoy that access as well. We are but stewards of this land.
While I understand the critical importance of wildfire mitigation and forest health, rolling back a foundational, nationwide conservation rule is a disproportionate measure. Prohibiting new road construction does not prevent fire management; rather, it ensures that management is done sustainably without permanently damaging the wild character of our public forests.
Please protect the integrity of our shared natural heritage, respect the decades of public support for these protections, and reject this proposed rollback.
Sincerely,
Cyntia Medrano
Visalia, CA