I oppose the rollback of the Roadless Area Conservation Rule. For more than two decades, this rule has protected much of the wildness that remains in our national forests. The protections have been particularly vital in the Shawnee National Forest, where the forest is already highly fragmented.
The 10,666 acres of important roadless areas in the Shawnee provide critical habitat for wildlife, clean our drinking water, store carbon, and offer refuge for people seeking quiet and beauty. Opening up areas of the Shawnee to more road construction means the spread of invasive species, further habitat fragmentation, erosion and sedimentation into pristine streams, as well as direct impacts to threatened and endangered species and all wildlife.
I urge you to stop rolling back protections for our public lands and leave our last wild forests intact. Please keep the Roadless Rule in place.
Sincerely, A Concerned Biologist