I am a lifelong California resident who grew up in the Los Padres National Forest. America’s national forests and untouched wilderness are some of our most precious resources. We need to preserve our wilderness—not because they need to be mined or logged or drilled but because they sustain the ecosystems, clean air, and clean water needed to continue living on this planet. We have already suffered devastating impacts to our climate and natural resources, including clean water, that threaten human lives on a broad scale. Increasing frequency and scope of wildfires is one example of looming danger to more and more communities every year. It is a misconception that the Roadless Rule increases wildfire risk. From the Sierra Club website: “New research from The Wilderness Society (now in peer review) shows that from 1992-2024, wildfires were four times more likely to start in roaded areas than in roadless forest tracts” and “another study by the Pacific Biodiversity Institute showed that over 90% of wildfires started within half a mile of a road.” I nearly lost my parents to the Thomas Fire in 2017 and have known people who lost their homes or suffered lasting health effects from the increasingly catastrophic wildfires in California. Reduce wildfire risk. Preserve our wilderness. Do not repeal the Roadless Rule.