FS-2025-0001-581980

Hello Forest Service, My name is Matt Fischer and I am a resident of Asheville, NC. I vehemently oppose the proposal to fully or partially rescind the Roadless Area Conservation Rule. As an avid lover of our natural world and someone who thrives in the outdoors, our roadless lands and wilderness areas are deeply meaningful to me and I believe it is not only essential to conserve these last wild places we have left, but to be working to cultivate and revitalize them. Building infrastructure in wild areas brings harm to these environments for all living things that create thriving ecosystems. Waterways are polluted, invasive species spread, native fonta and flora are stressed. This degradation compounds itself and leads to these places no longer functioning as they should. This has been a cycle throughout human intervention in the natural world that has created an imbalance and scarcity of resources. By cultivating and protecting these places, nature can thrive and resources can revitalize themselves. Additionally, these are places that can be enjoyed by humans in ways where they can interact and connect with the natural world in meaningful ways without the interference of infrastructure. These experiences allow us to better understand nature and for people to care more about protecting its vitality. I understand this well as someone who has camped, hiked, photographed and recreated in many wilderness areas protected by the roadless rule throughout our country. As a native of Western North Carolina, this proposition hits close to home as many areas of Pisgah and other surrounding National Forests would have degraded protections with this rescission. For the reasons listed above, fully or partially rescinding the Roadless Rule under Alternatives 2 and 3 of the draft EIS would be a grave mistake. Thank you for your consideration, Matt Fischer 128 Longview Road Asheville, NC 28806