Over the course of many decades, my love for the outdoors has taken me to many national forests here in California and has allowed me to form close personal connections with these remarkable places. In particular, I have backpacked, hiked, and camped in the Sierra and Sequoia National Forests extensively, those being the two national forests that I lived the closest to before moving to the Central Coast and finding myself in close proximity to the Los Padres National Forest. During the course of my lifetime, I also worked for the Sierra National Forest as a forest technician. My intimate connections to national forests have also been fueled by two of my passions: birdwatching and wildflower viewing. Because of my background recreating and working in national forests, I know firsthand what both roads and roadless areas represent. Based on my personal experiences and because of what research has shown, I can unequivocally say let the Roadless Rule stand! Hands off the Roadless Rule!
The Forest Service should keep the Roadless Rule intact exactly as it is. Do not weaken or repeal this critical policy.
National forests are the heart of our public lands. The Roadless Area Conservation Rule protects some of the wildest forests we have left, forests that protect critical wildlife habitat and drinking water for millions. Revoking the Roadless Rule puts landscapes, wildlife, and communities at risk.
Not only is the Roadless Rule good policy, it's also wildly popular across the country, with over 600,000 people submitting comments to the US Forest Service last year in support of keeping the rule in place. And more than 20 years ago, the American people overwhelmingly called for our national forests to be protected for future generations. Revoking the Roadless Rule would destroy the natural inheritance we leave for our children.