Hello,
To those who will read this comment, I share the following:
In 2023 I thru-hiked the entirety of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail. In 2011 I canoed miles of the Boundary Waters and surrounding Superior National Forest. Between 2018-2020 I spent countless times hiking, backpacking, and camping in the Manistee National Forest of Michigan. Today my family enjoys spending our weekends and vacation time in the numerous national forests in Washington and Oregon, before that it was Nevada, California, and Utah. All of these areas share commonality of federal public lands that hold roadless areas. All of which will be negatively impacted if the roadless rule is repealed.
In a world that is constantly focused on development and progress, I believe we must protect these spaces. We are on a current path that closely parallels the terrifying plunder and waste our forefathers carried out in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
We need our elected officials to pause and recognize the natural treasures our country holds and seek not to plundered but preserve. The American people stand, bipartisan, firmly against this proposed change, and we demand you listen.
I want to be able to return to these spaces in with future generations and share and pass on the same experiences that I had when first visiting them. If we open these places to roadways which will inevitably lead to vast logging and mining operations, and perhaps even data center developments; it will forever alter these incredible spaces that define the wild and unique American spirit. We won’t be able to get them back in our lifetime or many lifetimes after ours.
We have ample land currently under federal management that can be looked to for development without encompassing the current lands that have protection through the roadless rule.
The USFS currently manages over 265000 miles of roads, 8 times the length of the interstate system. They are dilapidated and backlogged for repairs or replacement. The US Forest Service estimates it between 7-10 billion dollars in deferred maintenance! Much of this due to chronic underfunding, and yet the funding was cut even more ($438 billion, 24%) earlier this calendar year. Adding more roadways defies sensibility. The forestry service doesn’t have the ability to maintain what it oversees now, it will only amplify the problem.
Lastly, this brings me to roadways and wildfires. Because where there are more roads there are more fires. Something none of the country needs or wants.
According to research done by the Sierra Club, 90% of forest fires start within .5 mile of a roadway. The USFS cited that 66% of human cause forest fires start near roadways. We don’t need to extend and/or introduce more locations to spark flames and burn our public lands to the ground. Considering wildfires are 4 times more likely to start near a roadway, we will make the West, Midwest, and even Eastern wildfire problems a certainty if the roadless rule is repealed.
I appreciate the time to read my comments. I pray the elected officials, who were put into their positions by the people, will remember to whom they answer and what duty means. Be bold, be honorable, protect our beautiful natural spaces and leave the roadless rule