Dear Special Areas: Roadless Area Conservation,
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As a U.S. citizen who cares deeply about national parks and the public lands that sustain them, I urge all legislators to choose the No Action alternative and uphold the existing Roadless Rule.
Prior Congressmen and women put the rule in place more than 20 years ago to protect roughly 44.7 million acres of ecologically intact national forest lands, including areas near Yosemite, Yellowstone, and Great Smoky Mountains national parks. Their wisdom has protected wild places, safeguarded clean water, provided essential wildlife habitat, supported outdoor recreation, and helped keep park ecosystems connected and healthy. We call on our current leaders to uphold their commitment.
Rescinding the rule would expose these treasured landscapes to new roads and development, fragmenting habitat, degrading waterways, and putting our parks at risk. Many public lands are already available for timber and energy development. Roadless protections apply to only about 30% of National Forest lands, making these remaining intact areas especially important for future generations.
Please do not move forward with this unnecessary rollback. Keep the Roadless Rule in place to protect the forests, wildlife, clean water, and the national parks.
Rebecca Ragan
15841 Fourmile Creek Ct
Haymarket, VA 20169
Sincerely,
Rebecca Ragan