FS-2025-0001-580363

To the U.S. Forest Service: I am writing to express my strong opposition to the proposed rescission of the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. I urge the U.S. Forest Service and USDA to retain the existing rule and select the No Action alternative. I am a Western North Carolina native, ecological artist, and environmental educator living in Asheville. Inventoried roadless areas such as Craggy Mountain, Sam Knob, and the lands surrounding Linville Gorge have shaped my relationship with these mountains and inspired much of my life’s work. I visit these places to hike, observe, learn, and create. This summer, I returned to Linville Gorge and was once again awed by its majesty: the immense sweep of the landscape, its rugged rock formations, and the diversity of life held within its forests. These places are far more than scenic backdrops. They are living, interconnected communities that provide habitat for native plants and wildlife, protect water quality, and offer people the increasingly rare experience of quiet, wonder, and immersion in an intact landscape. My artwork grows from close observation of the relationships among native plants, fungi, animals, forests, and the larger landscape. I have attached a photograph from my visit, along with my oil painting *Wiseman’s View*, inspired by Linville Gorge. Together, they reflect both the extraordinary character of this intact landscape and the lasting influence these public lands have on my artistic practice. Road construction and commercial timber harvest could fragment these ecological relationships and diminish qualities that cannot easily be restored once lost. The proposed rule itself acknowledges potential tradeoffs with quiet, remote recreation, as well as the possibility of increased road construction and timber-management opportunities. In Western North Carolina, these forests also sustain outdoor recreation, tourism, environmental education, clean water, and the sense of place that is central to our communities. I recognize the need for thoughtful, science-based forest management. However, the Roadless Rule already contains limited exceptions for necessary management activities. Rescinding a nationwide conservation standard is not appropriately tailored to those needs. Local forest plans and project-by-project review are not equivalent protections and would shift the burden of defending these landscapes onto individual communities while allowing incremental losses over time. Please withdraw the proposed rescission and maintain full protections for all currently designated inventoried roadless areas. These public lands belong to all Americans, and their ecological, cultural, recreational, and inspirational value should be safeguarded for generations to come. Thank you for considering my comment. Jenna Marie Kesgen Asheville, North Carolina