I wish to express my opposition to the proposed changes to the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. The rule in place has worked well for many years to protect areas of national forest that are wilderness in practice though not yet designated officially, and focus appropriate forestry management and harvest in areas with existing road systems. The few remaining old-growth forests are irreplaceable living museums of our country’s natural past and present. Undisturbed areas in general are important for wildlife and native plants and trees, so these are significant protections for hunting and recreational use. Our ancestors who came here from other countries prioritized the ability to hunt, something that in many of their home countries was not possible due to overcrowding and over-harvest or reserved only for nobility. Our wilderness and wilderness-adjacent areas are star attractions for locals, and for U.S. and international visitors, which generate income and goodwill for us.
Much more importantly, preventing road development is one of the most important practices for protecting watersheds— both the amount and the quality of water— and clean water is a critical resource for humans, crops, livestock, and wildlife, and something that we routinely run short of in many areas of the country. Roadless areas protect water resources and serve as protective buffers for national parks, designated wilderness areas, towns, farms, and ranches, and provide many services that don't appear on spreadsheets.
Of personal interest to me are roadless areas in my home state, Alabama’s Talladega National Forest, in my family’s home state, Tennessee’s Appalachian watersheds, and in my state of residence, New Hampshire’s White Mountains. I enjoy hiking, and many of my friends and family are hikers, naturalists, foragers, and hunters. Additionally, knowing that these places and their animal and plant inhabitants exist in an enduring protected condition is a source of comfort and immense patriotic pride. When I look at a map of the current roadless areas of our country, they appear to be a scattering of small dots on our vast country. Our unique natural landscapes and their plants and animals are one of the things that truly makes America great. How can we not continue to preserve a small sampling of the grandeur of our natural heritage?