I am writing to express my firm opposition to any proposal that would rescind, weaken, or roll back the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. For over two decades, rigorous research has proven that intact roadless areas are essential for wildfire mitigation, clean water security, and climate resilience against extreme weather. We cannot afford to repeat the ecological missteps seen in heavily deforested regions globally and domestically.
Preserving these uninterrupted landscapes is both an ecological necessity and a vital economic safeguard. In North Carolina, our 32 designated Roadless areas drive robust local economies—a role that is especially critical in Western North Carolina as our communities continue recovering from Hurricane Helene. As a resident of Candler, NC, who has spent over 15 years exploring the Craggy Mountain area in the Pisgah National Forest, protecting these wild spaces is deeply personal to me.
The long-term costs of habitat fragmentation far outweigh any temporary financial gains from deregulation. I urge the U.S. Forest Service and the USDA to uphold full protections for all inventoried roadless areas to safeguard these irreplaceable lifelines for future generations. Thank you for considering my comment.