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. I grew up going to the Eastern Sierra Nevada mountains every summer with my family to hike and fish. Some of my favorite places in the Eastern Sierras are in the Inyo and Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forests and are currently protected by the Roadless Rule, which has ensured that these areas remain pristine and continue to be a place of quiet solitude. The Roadless Rule protects some of the wildest forests we have left, forests that protect critical wildlife habitat and drinking water for millions of Americans. Revoking the Roadless Rule puts landscapes, wildlife, and communities at risk.
Not only would allowing roads not reduce wildfire risk, it would actively increase the risk of wildfire. A study of wildfires across the United States for the 20-year period between 1992 and 2012 showed that 82 percent of wildfires during that period were started by human causes (Balch et al. 2017), whereas in California specifically, humans accounted for starting approximately 95 percent of wildfires (Syphard et al. 2007; Syphard and Keeley 2015). Thus, providing access to previously inaccessible areas via new roads can be expected to generate fires at a more frequent rate than very remote or urban areas by increasing the number of people, vehicles, and industrial operations entering fire-prone environments.
I urge you to retain the Roadless Rule in its current form - repealing it would go against the will of the American people, who overwhelmingly support keeping the rule in place.
Thank you,
Tristan