I am writing to express my strong opposition to the proposal to fully or partially rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule (Docket FS-2025-0001).
As a resident of Driggs, Idaho and an advocate for our nation’s public lands, inventoried roadless areas matter deeply to me. I frequently visit and recreate Jedediah-Smith Wilderness, Caribou-Targhee National Forest and Grand Teton National where I hike, camp, climb and generally enjoy nature.
Protecting these unfragmented landscapes is vital for several critical reasons:
• Clean Water and Watersheds: Roadless areas safeguard essential headwaters and drinking water sources for downstream communities.
• Wildlife Habitat: Roads fragment ecosystems and disrupt sensitive wildlife corridors, threatening biodiversity and endangered species.
• Climate and Resilience: Intact forests act as natural carbon sinks and are more resilient to severe disturbances than fragmented, heavily managed timber lands.
Shifting management decisions to local forest plans without a national safeguard risks opening millions of acres of pristine backcountry to industrial logging and road construction. I urge the Forest Service to select Alternative 1 (No Action) and maintain full, nationwide protections for all designated inventoried roadless areas.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on this critical rule.
Sincerely,
Amanda Penn
Driggs, Idaho