I am writing in support of maintaining the 2001 Roadless Rule, and strongly oppose Executive order 14153.
Written with strong public support, and bipartisan congressional support, the Roadless Rule is a beneficial legislation which protects 58 million acres of National Forestland. It serves to protect public lands from new road building, industrial logging, & commercial development, in order to manage human impact pristine and undeveloped public lands, to safeguard critical wildlife habitat, preserve watershed supply for clean municipal water, and to maintain habitat connectivity for preservation of migrational areas & corridors of up to 220 threatened and endangered species.
The Roadless Rule prevents degradation of not only forests, but downstream lands and waterways from industrial sediment, construction chemicals, and soil erosion. It also reduces risk of human-caused wildfires, which have been commonly associated with roadside starts.
Additionally, the Roadless Rule maintains outdoor economics, back country heritage, and vast possibilities for learning and research.
We cannot fall short of our responsibilities to preserve public land for generations to come. We must remember that public lands have always been intended for the use of citizens, not commercial uses. We must not be so short sites as to view our pristine lands as “resource potential”, as the President’s executive order implies. Undeveloped lands are more than potential resources. They are already serving so many important purposes for the health of Earth and Humans. Only in vast, clean, undeveloped areas can water be filtered by the land, can carbon be pulled from the air, and can soil regenerate healthy minerals.
In summary, I am urging to maintain the Roadless Rule to preserve the integrity of public lands, and request strong opposition to Executive order 14153.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Lynette Griffin
Lifelong US Resident and outdoor enthusiast