I urge the United States Forest Service to not rescind the 2001 rule to restrict road construction through our nation’s National Forests.
I am a professional vegetation ecologist with a doctorate in interactions between native and invasive plant species and years of research experience and publications about damage of invasive plants in fire-prone landscapes. It is well known that roads serve as a primary entry point for invasive plants to colonize, both due to the disturbance associated with their construction and the ongoing use by vehicles that serve as vectors for invasive species spread. These roadside ruderal plant communities are often dominated by invasive annual grasses and forbs which serve as highly volatile fuel sources for wildfires when they senesce. Roads are also primary ignition points. The assertion that roads will improve wildfire fighting capabilities overlooks the fact that they may in fact increase the risk of wildfire in the first place.
On a different note, I have another more personal connection to National Forests from my childhood. The largely undeveloped forested slopes of Lake Tahoe are part of what makes the lake such a world famous destination and magical place for children who grow up within a day’s drive. With additional roads in Tahoe National Forest comes an increase in stormwater runoff, leading to erosion and pollution of the lake, damaging its ecological, recreational, aesthetic, and economic value.
I am not a behavioral ecologist but I do know that the negative impacts of roads in forests on wildlife behavior and health have been well documented by conservation biologists for decades.
Many of our national forests may not be pristine wilderness, but the importance of the fact that they represent large uninterrupted natural areas for people, habitat for endangered plants and wildlife, and provision of vital ecosystem services makes them essential.
Please do not rescind the roadless area conservation rule.