I absolutely oppose rescinding the Roadless Rule. While there is a place for prescribed logging in fire prevention, our public lands, National Parks, National Forests and BLM lands, and National Monuments deserve continued protection. I have lived in 13 states, spent the majority of the first 40 years of my life in the West, CO, WY, CA, WA, and New Mexico. I spent several years in college assisting in public comments on Draft Land Management Plans for all 7 of CO's National Forests. I spent a summer documenting unmapped roads in the Routt National Forest in northwest CO, those old logging roads that the Forest Service wasn't sure were still there, or what shape they were in, and how they were being used At that time in the mid 90s, they were still using aerial maps from the 1970s. We documented hundreds of miles of forgotten roads, because the Forest Service was so understaffed they no longer knew what was there. In addition, our research into the myriad ways Backcountry and off road motorized recreation can and does impact wildlife, was eye opening and alarming. The sound of ATVs can rupture the eardrum of a desert tortoise. The same sound in to close proximity can cause female elk to self abort.
I have witnessed the effect of logging roads cutting into hillsides in WA, CO, and NM, as well as the devastation of fires and the aftermath, mudslides.
For the last 15 years I have lived at the base of the Southern Appalachians in NE TN, about 40 minutes from Western North Carolina. This is an entirely different mountain range than the West, and no less precious. With Helene this region experienced over 2200 landslides. The risk for more comes with every rain. The idea of opening up the Pisgah, Nantahala, and Cherokee National Forests to logging and mining just makes me ill. Anyone who thinks building more roads on these steep hillsides is a good idea has never spent time in the mountains. This entire region is older than the United States, there are species here found no where else in the world, and we must protect it. We are still recovering from Helene. 14 bridges went out in my county alone and they have not all been rebuilt yet. The Roadless Rule helps protect our most precious gift as Americans, our Public lands. Keep them Roadless, so they may still thrive.