“More than one million people have already submitted comments”
“Thousands more have signed petitions”
“the public has made its position clear”
The comment
To the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Forest Service:
I am writing to strongly oppose the proposed rescission of the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. This action would gut protections for roughly 45 million acres of national forest land that belong to all Americans. I urge the Department to withdraw the proposal and keep the Rule in place.
Drinking water. Roadless areas protect some of the last wild forests in the country. These watersheds help provide drinking water to about 25 million people, including 1 in 4 Californians. Road construction and logging in these areas threaten water quality for communities that depend on them.
Wildfire. The Department has justified this proposal as a wildfire measure. That justification does not hold up. Research shows that roads increase the risk of human-caused ignitions, and roadless areas are less prone to them. Old-growth forests are also naturally more fire resistant. Importantly, the existing Rule already allows small-diameter tree removal to reduce underbrush and lower fire risk, so rescinding it is not necessary to manage fuels.
Capacity. The Forest Service has lost staff, including wildland firefighters, under this administration. Weakening protections while cutting the workforce that manages and defends these forests does not make communities safer.
Public support. More than one million people have already submitted comments on this proposal. Thousands more have signed petitions urging the Department to keep protecting roadless forests. These lands are held in trust for the public, and the public has made its position clear.
I respectfully request that the USDA abandon the proposed rescission and retain the Roadless Rule in full.
Respectfully
Randy Kalp
Barnstable, MA 02632