To the Roadless Rule Rulemaking Docket:
As someone who has explored public land in roadless and roaded areas, I can tell you they are not comparable.
I've spent many days and nights exploring many roadless areas in Washington, and it's difficult to describe the spiritual and emotional connection I have to these places. It is such a critical part of what makes the wilderness in Washington pristine and second to none. Setting aside all of the environmental benefits of untouched wild places on the watershed and carbon capture and wildlife, the serene beauty of these places is a priceless resource that we will never fully get back once it is lost
Exploring the Notch Pass trail with my wife was such a special experience. We saw a pair of bald eagles soaring above the trees, and the beauty of the dense vegetation around the whole green mountain area is nothing short of a fairy tale. These types of places would not be the same with roads cut through them.
Regarding the Green Mountain in the Olympic National Forest, Washington:
Population-level impacts of Moderate or 11-30% pop. decline severity across Restricted (11-30%) scope are documented for Cascades Frog (Rana cascadae, G3,) in the Green Mountain IRA, Olympic National Forest, driven by 6.1 - Recreational activities.
"Frequent human disturbance caused by mining development and road construction in the Kalamaili Mountain Ungulate Nature Reserve (KNR) — inhabited by >80% of Chinese khulan (Equus hemionus) — has interfered with or completely blocked their movement and access to parts of the reserve. The habitat of khulan in KNR went from a good natural habitat in 2005 to deterioration due to mining development in 2011. In 2019, road construction likely hindered its recovery to pre-mining levels. Our study revealed the significant impacts that mining development and road construction have had on the distribution of core habitats, ecological corridors, and movement of khulan."
— Biological Conservation (ScienceDirect), 2022
The persistence of Cascades Frog in Green Mountain under current threat levels presumes continued roadless conditions. Road construction fundamentally alters this baseline, converting the landscape from one that constrains 6.1 - Recreational activities to one that accelerates it.
Roadless wilderness areas are truly one of our most precious resources for all to enjoy, and once they are disturbed with roads cut through and commercial operations, they can never be returned to their natural beauty again. I beg you to please protect these places. They mean so much to so many people.
Most respectfully,
Denali Jones