There is an established and growing list of benefits supporting maintaining our remaining intact forests without further road building. From mitigating climate warming, sustaining biodiversity, providing clean water, invasive plants mitigation, mycelial forest support, big game populations, genetic resilience of predators, carbon sequestration, and the list continues to grow as science unveils more. For years in Idaho I was a volunteer, and as now and decades ago I vehemently support, for a plethora of established scientific reasons, the USFS's nationwide "Roadless Rule". It is humans causing 87% of wildfires, and roads are the major culprit of these human agency atrocities of both wildlife, people and property. With every mile of new roads comes people, their fires, ATV's, fireworks, and fire prone noxious invasive plants.
Thus I strongly oppose the U.S. Department of Agricultures proposal to repeal or weaken the landmark Roadless Area Conservation Rule that has protected wild, un-fragmented forests for more than a quarter-century. The rationale offered for doing so isnt supported by science. This action would harm not help our national forests.
I oppose your plan to roll back the Roadless Area Conservation Rule. I urge you to reverse course and save forests.
Gutting the Roadless Rule would risk more polluted drinking water for over 25 million Americans, increased flooding, and more landslides. It would imperil recreation areas where people hunt, hike, camp, fish, climb, and paddle. It endangers irreplaceable habitat for iconic animals. And it would jeopardize the integrity of incomparable places like Alaskas Tongass National Forest, the worlds largest intact temperate rainforest and the nations largest old-growth forest. If anything, the Rule should be strengthened to better protect all the extraordinary natural values of our essential forests.
I am not letting our forests go without a fight. Preserve the Roadless Rule and protect national forests for communities who rely on them and for generations to come.
I am an avid outdoor recreationist, Roadless Rule advocate and decades long volunteer who regularly visits roadless areas across Idaho and America's national forests, being vehemently supportive of taking the No Action alternative in the current DEIS.
Opening up tens of millions of acres of U.S. forests in cherished public lands like Californias Tahoe National Forest, the Boise and Payette NF's, segments of the Appalachian Trail, Montana's Bitterroot, the GYE's Centennial Forest, and more, all to destructive logging and road building is reckless, unscientific, and goes against millions of Americans like myself that loudly voiced support for the RR in the 1990's. I strongly support maintaining the Roadless Rule as is. Outdoor recreation is a crucial part of our country's economy, and rescinding the Roadless Rule is unpopular and unnecessary.
I urge you to keep the Roadless Rule in place exactly as it is. Like millions of Americans who have spoken out since 2001, I support the Roadless Rule and value our country's public lands and waters, including 44.7 million acres of undeveloped forests.
I am not sanctioning the piecemeal dismantling of our forests without a concerted fight. Preserve the Roadless Rule and protect national forests for communities who rely on them and for generations to come.
As outlined above, I am deeply concerned with the idea of rescinding the Roadless Rule, which is extremely important to my physical and mental wellness, the outdoor recreation community and the outdoor recreation economy. The rescission would remove important protections for approximately 45 million acres of backcountry national forests, including more than 25,000 miles of trails, 10,000 climbing routes, nearly 1,000 miles of whitewater, and more than 10,000 miles of mountain biking.
The Roadless Rule safeguards clean drinking water for millions of Americans, provides vital habitat for threatened species and sustains old-growth and mature forests that serve as critical carbon sinks. It also protects access to popular climbing, fishing, hiking, backcountry skiing, mountain biking and paddling sites.
Please keep the Roadless Rule intact and help protect our legacy of public lands by following Alternative 1 (No Action).
Thank you,
Mr. Richard A Rusnak Jr