To whom it may concern: My name is Emily Card and I am writing today to oppose the proposal to fully or partially rescind the Roadless Area Conservation Rule. As a PhD student studying ecology, I recognize the importance of roadless areas for the health and conservation of the species and ecosystems that we cherish in this country. One of the largest issues facing wildlife worldwide is the ever expanding influence of the anthropogenic world, especially roads. The most common images conjured when thinking about the negative impacts of roads are multi-lane highways that are impossible for almost any species to cross safely. But backcountry roads can have negative impacts on the wildlife surrounding them too. Studies have found that even occasional human-related noises can cause wildlife to leave an area for prolonged periods of time. Additionally, adding new roads onto the landscape fragments intact, contiguous habitat that is currently providing pathways through which different wildlife species can move to find new food sources, mates, or migration routes. A lack of connected, contiguous landscapes is a major issue in our modernizing world and this rule change would only accelerate the destruction of our ecosystems.
In addition to its negative impacts on sensitive species around the country, this proposal would also create undue burden on the already chronically underfunded U.S. Forest Service. USFS maintains more miles of roads than another entity in the United States, yet has seen downward trends in funding over the past few decades. This has left thousands of miles of roads poorly maintained and Americans are suffering the consequences of the lack of capacity. Taxpayers are also left to foot the bill for these roads that are only becoming more expensive to maintain as years of neglect pile up.
As a resident of the Georgia piedmont, rescinding the Roadless Rule would hit particularly close to home. We are lucky enough to live close to the Chattahoochee National Forest, which is home to an incredible diversity of flora and fauna, some of which are found nowhere else on Earth. The southern Appalachians are a global biodiversity hotspot and the Roadless Rule currently protects significant portions of the region from harmful development, pollution, and logging. These areas are also where our communities go to recreate and enjoy the beauty of the natural world by hunting, fishing, hiking, birding, etc. Rescinding the Roadless Rule would undermine the work of generations of Georgians who value these natural resources as the birthright of everyone in the state and region and go against the strong public support for Roadless Areas here in Georgia.
For the reasons listed above, fully or partially rescinding the Roadless Area Conservation Rule under Alternatives 2 and 3 of the draft EIS would be a grave mistake and I am in strong support of Alternative 1, the No Action Alternative. These roadless areas need to be protected for the benefit of the flora and fauna living there, our communities, and future generations of Americans who should inherit a better world from those of us who have the power to create it.