FS-2025-0001-587707

I am an avid whitewater rafter, hiker, overall nature enthusiast, and Gen Z voter that lives and recreates in the beautiful Western NC. I am writing to oppose the repeal of the Roadless Rule (RIN: 0596-AD66). The administration claims that repealing this rule will allow for "necessary" wildfire prevention measures to be taken. However, there have been multiple studies conducted that state that, under the current rule, protected and unprotected lands burn at similar rates. The claim that recinding this rule will solve the issue of rampant wildfires is simply not backed science. Should these protections be stripped, more than 152,000 acres of WNC alone will become vulnerable to logging, degrading water quality, and other forms of habitat loss. Places like the Art Loeb Trail, Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest, and the Craggy Mountain Wilderness area draw droves of tourists every year to our historic mountains, feeding local economies. Trout fishing is a billion-dollar industry in our state. Repealing this rule puts our waterways at risk of severe pollution and may further impact our fisheries that have already seen climate-related problems. The Blue Ridge Parkway is known for its expansive views of rolling green mountains, and serves as one of the most accessible ways for people to experience the beauty of WNC and Western VA. Should the roads in these areas expand beyond the Parkway, how would these views be impacted? If we open up these places to road construction, these beautiful landscapes may lose their appeal, altering the economies of the small towns that are almost totally reliant upon tourism as well as harming local plant and wildlife. While I understand the importance of reducing wildfire impacts across our nation, I do not believe that a total, or even partial, repeal of the Roadless Rule is the way to do so. Plant and animal life in our nation has already been met with an incredible amount of strife within the last months. Between the gutting of the Endangered Species Act and the reduction in acreage in places like Bears Ears Monument and Big Bend NP, we have already placed so many species in a vulnerable position. In a time of innovation, why can we not find more flexible ways of applying the Roadless Rule or more creative means of wildfire prevention? There simply has to be another way. This is one thing that a majority of the American population can agree on; a rarity in this day and age. Opposition to this repeal comes from both sides of the increasingly divided political spectrum. I urge you to listen to the American people. We do not want this. We want protected land. We want clean water. We want the Roadless Rule to stay.