Comment Analysis · Docket FS-2025-0001

FS-2025-0001-609188

Supports rescissionPosted October 7, 2026 On Regulations.gov

Not scored for substance: the comment does not clear the floor of substantive signal.

Topics

Forest Management Wildfire
- “overstocked and create fire danger”
- “should be thinned”
- “reduce fire danger and other active management issues”
- “active management in national forests”
Governance Policy Process
- “returning management to our local forests”
- “arbitrary policy that doesn't always ground itself in the reality”
- “deregulation of policies set in DC”
- “support a local forest products industry rather than relying on interests and parties outside of Washington State”
Recreation Tourism Public Use
- “decreased access across the Forest”
- “left many areas inaccessible”
- “expedite maintenance of these places”
- “support access”
Economic Impact Fiscal
- “Funding provided by active management”
- “support a local forest products industry”
- “making forest products here”
- “reducing regulatory burden”

What it names

Roadless areas: Hidden Lake
Works cited: Johnston et al. 2023

The comment

I’m writing today to express my support for repealing the roadless rule. As a lifelong resident of Washington State, I have spent significant time recreating in the Mt Baker Snoqualmie National Forest. This forest has provided myself, family, and friends the opportunity for mountain biking, hiking, skiing, backpacking and many more activities that are a large part of my life. However, inaction by the Forest Service has decreased access across the Forest, especially following the December 2025 rainstorms which destroyed numerous stream crossings and roads and left many areas inaccessible including Hidden Lake Lookout, Watson Lakes Trailhead, the Suiattle River Road. These are all places I attempted to visit in the last year and could not. Funding provided by active management and deregulation of policies set in DC such as the Roadless Rule would only expedite maintenance of these places. Furthermore, the roadless rule is an arbitrary policy that doesn’t always ground itself in the reality of the landscape on the MBSNF. Scrolling around the map of areas included in the roadless rule, there are multiple areas around Darrington and Jackman Creek (Skagit county) which have been logged and are included in the roadless rule. From personal experience in these areas, the stands here are overstocked and create fire danger near marbled murrelet habitat and should be thinned. I hope to see more thinning and active management in the MBSNF in order to support access and reduce fire danger and other active management issues. Finally, we should support returning management to our local forests and support a local forest products industry rather than relying on interests and parties outside of Washington State. Washington State has some of the most well conserved forest management in the world (in terms of percent of forests by acreage conserved) and we should support making forest products here, especially with how well our state grows trees. I urge policy setters to repeal the Roadless Rule and support active management in national forests in Washington State.