I strongly oppose the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Forest Service proposal to fully or partially rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule.
The 2001 Roadless Rule safeguards clean drinking water for millions of people, protects vital old-growth carbon sinks, and maintains critical wildlife habitats and migratory corridors. Opening these 44.7 million acres of inventoried roadless areas to commercial logging and new road construction risks permanent environmental damage, increases human-caused wildfire risks, and adds to an already massive federal maintenance backlog.
I personally care about and depend on these public lands. The roadless areas of Sumter national forest are particularly important.
I urge the Forest Service to select Alternative 1 (No Action) to keep comprehensive roadless protections fully in place across all national forest inventoried roadless areas.
Sincerely,
Steven Pruitt
Taylors, SC 29687