Pisgah National Forest French Broad River along with its surrounding streams like Wilson Creek and trails like French Broad Loop trail are important. If this area no longer is protected by the roadless rule more traffic would divide and make it difficult for animals to move around safely. More traffic brings more people and trash endangering the animals. People also increase the chance of wild fires. Worst of all this would give logging companies an opportunity to remove natural trees in an area. When natural trees are removed it affects wild life and terrain. Tree removal effects include erosion and allow contaminated runoff into rivers and streams.The rivers and streams provide water and income to local people. It will also increase flooding.The Forest Service should analyze and study the effects when more people have access to natural places. They should review how erosion affects flooding due to lack of natural ground and trees that absorb water. They should look into affects for locals.
The Forest Service should keep the Roadless Rule intact exactly as it is. Do not weaken or repeal this critical policy.
National forests are the heart of our public lands. The Roadless Area Conservation Rule protects some of the wildest forests we have left, forests that protect critical wildlife habitat and drinking water for millions. Revoking the Roadless Rule puts landscapes, wildlife, and communities at risk.
Not only is the Roadless Rule good policy, it's also wildly popular across the country, with over 600,000 people submitting comments to the US Forest Service last year in support of keeping the rule in place. And more than 20 years ago, the American people overwhelmingly called for our national forests to be protected for future generations. Revoking the Roadless Rule would destroy the natural inheritance we leave for our children.