Dear Secretary Rollins,
While up at Mt. Whitney last week I enjoyed a hike among tall trees, a river, a beautiful mountain landscape and relaxed along a water fall and contemplated the importance that nature provides as a respite from living in a busy, bustling city as I thought about the proposal to rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. This rule was established to safeguarded some of the most pristine and undeveloped land in our public National Forest System. These are cherished places me and a multitude of other people who camp, backpack, hike, bird watch, ski, fish and engage in other recreational and meaningful pursuits.
While there I also saw an informational board about the 1964 Wilderness Act that created our National Wilderness Preservation System that provides the means for ordinary people to protect ecologically and communally important natural areas through their elected representatives in Congress and for the permanent good of the whole people. The informational board is titled "A Noble and Visionary Act" and I do not see arbitrarily gutting the Roadless Rule as noble or visionary but shortsighted, cheating the next generations, rushed and favoring promoting the commercial aspects of managing our public lands. I think Americans cherish their public and deserve leaders who protect them for future generations and not give them away to corporations and exploit them.
I also want to add that rationalizing cutting down our forest in the name of fire prevention is not accurate and research from Oregon State University Professor Chris Dunn, a forest ecologist and wildfire expert and his colleagues, found most wildfires in Western national forest between 19984 and 2018 started near roads, showing an increased likelihood of wildfire where roads exist, because the number one cause of wildfires is people. Also good to note that research also demonstrates that climate change has contributed to longer fire seasons, hotter and unpredictable fire behavior.
So, in agreement with the following narrative, I strongly oppose the USDA’s proposal to eliminate or weaken the Roadless Rule. This reckless action would devastate public lands, waste taxpayer resources, and undermine the water, wildlife habitat, and recreation opportunities on which millions of Americans depend.
Roadless forests represent some of the most intact, resilient ecosystems left in our country. They filter and store clean drinking water, provide refuge for vulnerable species, and serve as critical carbon sinks critical to mitigating the worsening impacts of climate change. People hike, forage, bike, fish, camp, ski, climb, and find solace in these remote places.
Roads spread invasive species, fragment wildlife habitat, and erode the very ecological resilience we need in the face of a warming climate. More roads in the backcountry also mean more fires: research shows wildfires are more likely to ignite near roads. Once roads and clearcuts fragment these landscapes, the damage is permanent. Weakening or repealing the Roadless Rule would be a grave mistake.
I do not support any of the proposed action alternatives that roll back the Roadless Rule. I urge the USDA to abandon this misguided effort and instead strengthen its commitment to protecting America’s roadless forests for the clean water, climate resilience, recreation, and biodiversity they provide. Leave the Roadless Rule in place.
References:
Aplet, G.H., Hartger, P. & Dietz, M.S. Three-decade record of contiguous-U.S. national forest wildfires indicates increased density of ignitions near roads. fire ecol 22, 8 (2026) https://doi.org/10.1186/s42408-026-00450-2
Mildrexler, D.J., Berner, L.T., Law, B.E. & Both, M.S. Roadless rule rescission threatens highest integrity forest ecosystems in the United States. Biological Conservation 321, 111950 (2026) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111950
Sincerely,
Sophie Swirczynski
Eugene, OR 97404-3179
sophieswirz@gmaill.com