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Comment letter- Roadless Rule Rescission- Oct 6, 2026
Allison Warner, 316 Dove Drive, Camano Island, WA 98282
Dear Secretary Brooke Rollins, Secretary of Agriculture,
I am writing to express my opposition to the Roadless Rule Rescission as proposed by the US Forest Service. I am a semi-retired soil scientist and a wetland ecologist professionally and a birder and wild area enthusiast in my leisure time. From my more than 30-year career working in forests and wetlands, including 6 years at the Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest, from which I am a retiree, I am aware of the economic value as well as the ecological value of large undisturbed tracks of land, forest management, and many national laws and management plans such as the NW Forest Plan. I am an author of watershed analyses for the Beckler River, and North Fork Skykomish watershed and several environmental assessments including one to propose reducing roads on the Skykomish Ranger District, for which I conducted public scoping and led the interdisciplinary team.
I am opposed to the rescission of the roadless rule for many reasons, which all are linked to each other and to the ecological value of these areas for wildlife, for endangered species, for the communities that depend on the water resources provided by these areas, and for their economic services and value to the States and Nation as a whole. The analysis provided for this proposed rulemaking must fully address the economic impacts of removing the Roadless Rule, including potential increased fire risk, and costs to communities. Although the federal register states that it complies with the Federalism EO 13132 , the very purpose of this proposal is to remove restrictions on road-building within these designated areas, which would have consequences that impact States such as Washington State where I live. We already experience many days each summer of unacceptable air quality due to smoke from forest fires in the adjacent mountains. This has affected my family members who have asthma, and it affects our economy as people must stay indoors during bad air quality days. I also creates costs for WA State associated with managing fires and air quality. Please see attached my comments as you only have a 5000 word limit here.