Subject: Public Comment Opposing Rescission of the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule (Docket FS-2025-0001)
Dear U.S. Forest Service and Department of Agriculture,
I am writing to formally submit my strong opposition to the proposed full rescission of the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule.
For 25 years, the Roadless Rule has successfully protected roughly 44 to 45 million acres of America’s wildest national forest lands. Removing these national safeguards and handing discretionary control over to individual forest plans threatens critical ecosystems, water supplies, and climate resilience.
My concerns are grounded in the following points:
• Clean Water Protection: National forests are a primary source of municipal drinking water for over 60 million Americans across 3,400 communities. Road construction and commercial logging in roadless headwaters increase sediment runoff and degrade water quality.
• Wildfire and Forest Health Reality: Claims that rescinding the rule is necessary for wildfire prevention are flawed. The 2001 Roadless Rule already permits localized fuel-reduction treatments, thinning near communities, and full fire-suppression tools (including heavy machinery and aircraft). Research shows that human-caused fire risks increase significantly with the expansion of forest roads.
• Biodiversity and Habitat Connectivity: Roadless areas provide unfragmented sanctuary, breeding grounds, and migration corridors for imperiled and native wildlife. Fragmenting these last remaining wild tracts accelerates biodiversity loss.
• Climate and Carbon Storage: Mature and old-growth forests within roadless regions act as vital carbon sinks, naturally absorbing greenhouse gases to help mitigate climate change.
As someone who values hiking, camping, and clean local water in the Nantahala National Forest in North Carolina, I urge the Department of Agriculture to select Alternative 1 (No Action) and preserve the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule in its entirety.
Sincerely,
John Pontier
Bradenton, FL