“Rescinding the entire rule is unnecessarily broad”
“address demonstrated management problems through targeted modifications”
“retain the Roadless Area Conservation Rule”
The comment
I oppose the proposed rescission of the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule (RIN 0596-AD66).
The Roadless Rule provides a clear, consistent standard for protecting national forest lands that have remained largely free from road construction. Rescinding the entire rule is unnecessarily broad when the Forest Service already has tools to address specific needs such as wildfire mitigation, forest restoration, public safety, and other necessary management activities.
I am particularly concerned about the practical consequences of allowing additional road construction in currently roadless areas. New roads fragment wildlife habitat, increase erosion and sediment runoff into streams, and create continuing maintenance costs. They can also permanently alter areas valued for hiking, hunting, fishing, recreation, clean water, and their undeveloped character.
These concerns are especially relevant in North Carolina and the Southern Appalachians, where national forests protect important watersheds and biologically diverse ecosystems and support local recreation and tourism.
If the Forest Service believes changes to the existing rule are necessary, it should address demonstrated management problems through targeted modifications rather than eliminating nationwide protections altogether. I ask the Forest Service to consider the environmental, fiscal, and long-term consequences of rescission and retain the Roadless Area Conservation Rule.