Dear Secretary Rollins,
I oppose the proposal to fully or partially rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule.
As an Avon, Colorado resident, I am surrounded by the White River National Forest. I regularly use these lands for hiking, camping, birdwatching, and wildlife viewing. This forest and other forest areas like them, provide critical habitat for wildlife. Rocky Mountain elk and bighorn sheep (whose populations are declining), the Canada lynx and greenback cutthroat trout (federally listed as "threatened"), in addition to bald and golden eagles (listed as federally "protected") will be negatively impacted by changes to their environment. And, those of us who appreciate them and their native habitat will also be negatively impacted.
Altering the Roadless Rule opens acres of the White River National Forest—and millions more acres of national forest across the country—to road construction and commercial activities, with irreversible impacts on wildlife, ecosystems, and people. For this reason, I oppose fully or partially rescinding the Roadless Rule under Alternatives 2 and 3 of the draft EIS.
All areas protected by the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule should remain protected as they are today. I support Alternative 1, the “No Action” Alternative.
Sincerely,
Charlotte Shollenberger