To the USDA and Forest Service,
I am writing as a concerned citizen, a resident of a community east and downstream of the Washington & Jefferson National Forest, a former resident of Mount Hood National Forest, and as a parent who loves hiking, camping, and creating memories in the wild areas of National Forests across the U.S. with my children.
I urge you to maintain the Roadless Rule. Rescinding it is not only environmentally damaging but also fiscally irresponsible. My opposition is rooted in personal experience with the devastating economic and human costs of road-facilitated disasters, infrastructure neglect, and the loss of the wild spaces that define our quality of life.
1. The Economic Impact of Human-Caused Fires
I have personally witnessed the scars of human-caused wildfires in National Forests. In 2015, I drove through Yellowstone and saw the lingering damage from the 1988 North Fork Fire that started near a road inside the adjacent Targhee National Forest and destroyed over 400,000 acres. Even 25 years later, the area was a monoculture of lodgepole pines rather than a resilient ecosystem. The logger that started the fire by tossing a lit cigarette, only had access because logging roads allowed him into vulnerable, drought-stricken stands. Without those roads, that ignition would have been impossible.
Roads invite human presence into deep wilderness, exponentially increasing ignition risk. The problem is only getting worse, and the economic toll is staggering:
- The 2020 Creek Fire (Sequoia NF, CA): Sparked by an overheating vehicle catalytic converter on a roadside, this fire burned 380,000 acres and cost $193 million to suppress, destroying 63 homes.
- The 2026 Oregon Wildfire Season: Record-breaking suppression costs reached an all-time high of $1.4 billion statewide. Localized blazes near Mount Hood, such as the 94,000-acre Grasshopper Fire, destroyed 8 homes and 25 minor structures, heavily disrupting the regional recreation economy.
2. Personal Impact on Mount Hood Communities
I owned a cabin on Mount Hood and personally felt the fear communities experience when forest fires threaten their homes. I saw our local businesses suffer as tourists stayed away. But it’s not just fires that drive tourists away; it’s also the polluted rivers caused by road runoff and the fragmented, clear-cut landscapes that replace our wild forests. These factors directly harm the recreational tourism that drives the local economy and supports rural livelihoods. The Mount Hood NF and the broader Columbia River Gorge region alone normally generates $500–$600 million annually.
3. Water Security and Fiscal Responsibility
I have seen rivers that once ran clear turn brown from road runoff. Failed roads & poor drainage are leading sources of sediment and pollution in National Forest waterways. This sedimentation chokes fish spawning beds, threatens food security for communities relying on fish, and destroys the recreational fishing tourism that drives local economies.
Furthermore, roadless areas protect 354 municipal watersheds across the US, supplying drinking water to millions and saving communities millions in filtration costs. The community where I lived in the Mount Hood National Forest relies on a community well for drinking water. Rescinding the rule weakens these protections, directly threatening the quality and affordability of my water. As a resident downstream of the Washington & Jefferson National Forest, I also understand how vital intact forest landscapes are for maintaining water quality & flood control for downstream communities.
4. The Forest Service Road Maintenance Backlog
There is already an estimated $19.3 billion backlog for the existing 220,000+ National Forest roads. The Forest Service is chronically underfunded & forced to prioritize fire suppression over infrastructure maintenance. Maintaining existing roads costs approximately $3.8 billion annually.
I believe it is fiscally irresponsible to build new roads when existing ones are deteriorating. These crumbling roads pose safety risks to my family and the public. In my Mount Hood community, the fire department is all-volunteer. I watched our community burn & saw volunteer firefighters work 24-hour shifts to protect our homes. Poorly maintained roads impede emergency access & increase erosion, complicating recovery efforts.
In conclusion, I do not believe more roads should be built when the existing system is failing. I want to ensure my children inherit a legacy of clean water & wild, unfragmented forests, not a multi-billion dollar maintenance backlog. The Roadless Rule is the only thing standing between our children & a future where “wild” is just a memory. Please do not rescind the Roadless Rule.