Kathryn Dyas
3405 6th Ave NW, Austin, MN 55912
kath56ryn@gmail.com
507.279.0972
October 5, 2026
Director, Ecosystem Management Coordination
201 14th Street SW, Mailstop 1108
Washington, DC 20250-1124
RE: Opposition to the Proposed Rescission of the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule (Docket ID: FS-2025-0001)
Dear Director,
As a former national park ranger for ten seasons in Utah, I am writing to express my strong opposition to the proposed rescission of the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. Protecting inventoried roadless areas (IRAs) is vital for maintaining ecological integrity, protecting clean water, and preserving backcountry recreation. I am deeply concerned about how this sweeping policy shift will impact the lands surrounding Canyonlands National Park in Utah.
While the U.S. Forest Service manages the Manti-La Sal National Forest adjacent to the southeast and west of the park, any administrative action that opens nearby federal lands to road construction, commercial logging, or mineral extraction directly threatens the greater Canyonlands ecosystem. I urge the Forest Service to maintain full 2001 Roadless Rule protections for the following reasons:
1. Cross-Boundary Ecological Impacts on Canyonlands National Park
Ecosystems do not stop at agency borders. The watersheds, wildlife corridors, and viewsheds of Canyonlands National Park are intimately tied to the surrounding high-elevation national forest lands, including the Abajo and La Sal mountain ranges. Introducing new roads and industrial activities in nearby IRAs will increase habitat fragmentation, disrupt critical migration corridors for large mammals, and alter delicate desert hydrology.
2. Degradation of Watersheds and Water Quality
The arid landscapes of southeastern Utah rely on pristine headwater streams flowing from unroaded forest areas. Increased erosion, runoff, and sediment from road construction upstream will inevitably degrade downstream water quality within the Colorado River and Green River watersheds, directly harming the aquatic resources and riparian ecosystems protected inside Canyonlands National Park.
3. Destruction of Backcountry Recreation and Quiet Character
Canyonlands National Park and its surrounding forest lands are globally renowned for their dark skies (it is an International Dark Sky park), natural soundscapes, and remote backcountry recreation opportunities. Expanding road networks nearby will increase noise pollution, degrade viewsheds visible from within the park's overlooks (such as the Needles and Island in the Sky districts), and diminish the wild, primitive experience that millions of visitors seek.
4. Severe Backlog on Existing Forest Roads
The Forest Service already faces a multi-billion-dollar road maintenance backlog nationwide. Removing protections from IRAs to allow new road infrastructure is fiscally irresponsible and diverts critical resources away from maintaining and repairing the agency's existing, deteriorating road network.
For these reasons, I urge the Forest Service to withdraw the proposed rescission and uphold the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule to ensure the long-term protection of Utah's public lands and the iconic greater Canyonlands ecosystem.
Thank you for considering these substantive comments.
Sincerely,
Kathryn Dyas (I give permission to use this typed name as my signature)