Dear Secretary Rollins,
I am writing because I strongly oppose the USDA’s proposal to eliminate or weaken the Roadless Rule. This reckless change would be devastating to our public lands and an enormous waste of taxpayer funds. It would destroy wildlife habitat and recreation opportunities, increase the risk of wildfire, and undermine the outdoor industry.
Roadless forests represent some of the most intact, resilient ecosystems that we have left in the United States. 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. By contrast, roads spread invasive species, fragment wildlife habitat, and erode the very ecological resilience we need in the face of a warming climate.
Part of the justification given for this proposed change has been that more roads would aid fire suppression, but in fact, research shows that the opposite is true. Most wildfires ignite near roads and are human-caused. Opening our forests to more roads would lead to more wildfires, which are extremely expensive and dangerous to fight. Weakening or eliminating the Roadless Rule would be financially unsound and put lives at risk.
I am also personally invested this issue because my work depends on roadless spaces. In the summers, I work in outdoor education, leading youth from a wide range of backgrounds on backpacking trips. Our public lands, including those protected by the Roadless Rule, are the backbone of these experiences. I have seen firsthand how experiences in the outdoors help young people build confidence in themselves and connections with each other, as well as appreciation for the world around them. It is vitally important that we protect these spaces so that future generations have the chance to experience that wonder and connection.
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,
Clara Barclay
Eugene, OR 97405
cmbarclay9@gmail.com