I'm a retired USFS employee who worked on the original Roadless Rule. I worked on the Coconino NF, which is heavily roaded already.
- The areas defined as "roadless" were roadless for a reason.... it didn't make sense, economically or environmentally to build roads there.
- Recent Coconino NF research indicated most human-caused fire ignitions occurred adjacent to roads. So more roads will mean more human-caused fires.