My name is Tulsi Shrivastava, and as a lifelong resident of the beautiful Appalachian Mountains, I strongly oppose rescinding the Roadless Rule. Having grown up, lived, and worked in the Allegheny Mountains, I care deeply about our wildlife and want future generations to experience the lush, green forests I have always called home. We must not allow the permanent destruction of our ecosystems for short-term commercial gain.
First, we must consider what we are leaving behind. Currently, 95% of Pennsylvania’s only national forest is already open to logging, mining, and oil drilling. If we remove protections, what will be left for future generations? The wildlife I have spent my life watching outside my window in the Alleghenies will simply cease to exist.
My family trips to the Shenandoah Mountains are some of my most cherished memories, and it is vital that we protect areas like the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests (GWJNF) from commercial logging and road construction. My husband and I dream of exploring the Los Padres National Forest in California, the Black River area in Arizona, and the vast wilderness of Alaska with our parents. I was raised to see the divine in nature, and the human-caused destruction of these environments pains me to my core. There is no justification for making wildlife and communities suffer to this extent.
Furthermore, intact forests provide essential environmental benefits. A UC Berkeley study on watersheds highlighted that natural, unsuppressed forest processes yield vital benefits: "increased stream flow, increased downstream water availability, [and] increased soil moisture, which improves habitat for the plants within the watershed." When natural events like wildfires do occur, a healthy, roadless forest canopy serves as the ultimate defense mechanism for our downstream water infrastructure.
Finally, decision-making authority should rest with local leaders and knowledgeable park rangers rather than a sweeping federal mandate. One blanket policy cannot accommodate the vast diversity of our great American lands. For example, Pennsylvania needs to preserve the old-growth in its white pine stands, while California requires targeted management for extreme wildfire risks. We must empower area-specific management to ensure the land gets the exact care it needs.
For these reasons, I fully support Alternative 1, the "No Action" alternative. Keep these roadless areas protected! As someone with friends across the political spectrum both Democrat and Republican, I know this is one issue our entire country can agree on.