To the USDA and the US Forest Service,
:
We bought a lot in 2001 in Long Branch Estates off Needmore Road in Swain County. The first day we spent on our property we thought we heard road noise and were so disappointed that there was a road we weren't aware of that was so close to hear the tires driven over rough asphalt. The disappointment also stemmed from our desire to get back to nature after living decades in suburbs of large cities. It only took a couple minutes for us to realize what we were actually hearing, when a gust of wind followed the sound up to the ridge we were standing on. We realized this was a new sound that can't be detected in the suburbs where actual vehicle traffic noise drowns out the natural sound of wind blowing through trees. For 25 years we have felt blessed to live on land that allows us to feel a connection to this amazing forest. We travel extensively throughout our country and have seen and enjoyed so many wonderful natural p[aces. Every time we share pictures of this area, and especially when we return home, my wife and I comment on how blessed we are that this part of the Nantahala National Forest is where we live.
I just realized the irony of 2001 also being when the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule was created. To the USDA and Forest Service, I hope you can see the greater value of continuing protection of these tracts. There is plenty of land that can be developed in areas where roads are already built. I strongly urge you to not change this rule.