FS-2025-0001-609577

As a Park Ranger, I have experienced many of these concerns while exploring the Maine woods and during the mundane routines of life. Roads serve as dispersal corridors where invasive plant species are spread by humans, vehicles and animals. The roads that have cut through forested land have led to an increase in invasive plant species in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. One such plant is known by the common name bittersweet (Celastrus scandens). It is considered extremely invasive in the state of Maine. It is common to find it alongside roads and power lines. Bittersweet prefers loose disturbed soil. Research indicates that invasive plant species tend to decrease with the distance from roads, whereas native species show variable distribution patterns near roads (Dai et al., 2025 (https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.70002)). Repealing the Roadless Rule would undoubtedly increase the spread of this invasive plant. Over the past two years I watched Maine DOT rebuild a section of Rt. 1 going through midcoast Maine. Many acres of habitat was destroyed to rebuild a culvert and install a new bridge. It was once a relatively easy area for wildlife movement and now it is a steep incline on both sides of the road. Road construction should keep wildlife in mind but instead it is creating more barriers for them to navigate. Wildlife across the country takes part in seasonal migration. Roadless areas allow these species to move freely without hindrance whereas wildlife in other regions face habitat loss, fragmentation, or the threat of wildlife-vehicle collisions. Wildlife-vehicle collisions are far too common. My heart breaks every time I see roadkill. I have seen hundreds of roadkill over the past few years in the region where I work. As someone who loves birds, I am deeply saddened when I see that an owl or another raptor has been struck. Usually, those predators were struck while hunting and didn’t see the vehicle until it was too late. Like most species, road mortality is a widely recognized but rarely quantified threat to the viability of amphibian populations (Beebee, 2013 (https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.12063)). On warm rainy spring nights I would witness hundreds of frogs, salamanders, and other critters migrating to mating grounds. Unfortunately, most of them were hit by cars and did not arrive at their destination. One of the main negative effects of roads on various species is wildlife-vehicle collisions (Grilo et al., 2024 (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-024-04207-x)). Wildlife-vehicle collisions are already too common and repealing the Roadless Rule would create more of these unfortunate occurrences. As an avid outdoor enthusiast, I find great joy in solitary hikes where you cannot hear anything but the sounds of nature. The rescission of the Roadless Rule would put that type of recreation in jeopardy. National forests provide many types of recreation and the regions with roadless areas account for 76% of annual visits to the National Forest System. Repealing the Roadless Rule would cause hiking, fishing, hunting, and backcountry camping to decline as these types of recreation are considered more quiet and dispersed (https://www.pew.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2026/10/05/us-department-of-agriculture-proposes-eliminating-the-roadless-rule). Opportunities for solitude and primitive non-motorized experiences would be negatively impacted by the noise and disturbance of vehicles. Noise pollution from logging operations or road construction and visual impacts to landscapes are a concern for many Americans who value quiet recreation. (USDA Forest Service, Six Rivers National Forest, Gasquet Ranger District, Dece (https://www.nfwf.org/sites/default/files/norcal/Documents/SRNFEIS.pdf)). The Roadless Rule protects many cherished backcountry recreation areas. These forests provide us with clean air and water, sequester carbon, and are the backbone of a $1.3 trillion outdoor recreation economy that supports 5.2 million jobs. This rescission puts 45 million acres of national forest at risk (Alliance, 2026 (https://www.outdooralliance.org/roadless)). Nearly 80,000 miles, about 59%, of National Forest System Trails valued by outdoor enthusiasts across the country are at risk right now (Woodard et al., 2025 (https://www.nrdc.org/media/what-usdas-emergency-logging-map-gets-dangerously-wrong)). In conclusion, the Roadless Rule was brilliantly created 25 years ago and has proven to be effective at prioritizing conservation efforts while also providing a recreational outlet for the nation as well as aided in wildfire mitigation efforts. The Roadless Rule is not the enemy. Allowing the Roadless Rule to be rescinded would have catastrophic consequences and irreparable damage. Millions of Americans are in favor of the Roadless Rule. Please reject full repeal and reject the removal of any acreage from roadless protections.