I am writing to ask the US Forest Service to keep the Roadless Rule in place.
I value hiking, camping, flyfishing and taking photos in the beautiful, untrammeled, undeveloped country that Roadless Areas consist of. They should not be compromised. We do not need roads, timber harvesting, mining or development in these places that have remained largely untouched for decades. These places represent the closest thing to true wilderness, and most of the Roadless Areas should be considered for wilderness designation.
Here, near my current home on Whidbey Island, WA, we have the Dark Divide Roadless Area that stretches between Mount Admas and Mount St. Helens, providing high ridges and dense old-growth forests—a rarity anywhere in the country today. I’ve hiked Sauk Mountain in a Roadless Area in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, and cross-country skied out of Winthrop in a Roadless Area on the Okanagan-Wenatchee National Forest. These places are highly cherished by locals and visitors alike. They protect our watersheds and wildlife. They provide open space and recreation and incredible scenic beauty.
There is no going back once roads are built into Roadless Areas. Everyone and everything —people, wildlife, and our planet—stand to lose the valuable treasures that have been protected from development.
For these reasons I support keeping Roadless Rule in place. Please.