“watch as they become second generation old growth wilderness”
“my favorite places on the planet”
What it names
Roadless areas
Seneca Creek
Attachments
8 files. Counts as 1 — Counts as one: The attachments enclose no one else's submissions; the comment counts as one.
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The comment
I cannot urge the Forest Service enough to keep the roadless rule in place exactly as it is today. I live in the Eastern US, where our forests were logged and destroyed during the early 20th century. Today, many of those forests are now in recovery thanks to the work of conservation policies like the roadless rule. Just recently I visited Seneca Creek roadless area, and it was incredible. The water clearness and unique ecosystem of mixed hardwood forests with red pine stands is not found near the mid-Atlantic except for isolated ridges and valleys in the highlands of the Appalachian Mountains. History shows that if we do not protect these areas through policy they will be logged, mined, and harvested in ways which are both environmentally and economically unsustainable.
It is in the interest of all Americans, not just those who actively enjoy the scenery, peace, and nature these places offer, to keep them wild. Roadless areas provide millions of Americans with high quality ecosystem services such as clean drinking water. The environmental draft report published on the removal even noted that it would harm the quality of said ecosystem services. Your own documents show the danger to everyday Americans that repealing the roadless rule would have. It would be devastating to our country to repeat the mistakes of our forefathers and burn down our environment for short term profit which only exploits, never enriches, the communities it claims to help.
On a final note, I'm young, only 20. I want to grow old alongside our forests and watch as they become second generation old growth wilderness. I hope that the future I live in is one where I can, and not one where I watch my favorite places on the planet disappear one by one. I hope that this submission matters, that the submissions of over 600,000 Americans matter, and that our government is one that listens to the people. I earnestly hope that the Forest Service decides to follow alternative 1, no action, not only for every American's sake, for nature's sake, but for my own as well. Attached are images I've taken inside roadless rule areas near me which showcase their beauty.
Thank you,
Owen Flickinger