I oppose the repeal of the Roadless Area Conservation Rule. I am 67, and most of my life I have appreciated the opportunities to recreate in the backcountry areas of Colorado and Washington. Accessing areas that are only reached on foot or horseback allow you to experience the solitude and beauty of these undisturbed areas. Allowing new resource extraction, infrastructure development, or other activities that will disturb this natural environment will have a negative impact for the general public that want to preserve these areas for enjoyment of recreational opportunities, preservation of wildlife and water resources, and for future generations. Allowing roads and vehicle access closer to pristine alpine areas will degrade the value of the recreational experiences and the preservation of these wild areas. Over the past 20 years living in Washington State, going to the mountains for backcountry hikes, backpacks and climbs, are my primary recreational activity. I spend nearly every weekend in pursuit of exploring these untouched and protected areas. In reviewing the map of current roadless areas in Washington, many of the areas that I visit frequently on trails and to destinations will be either partially, or completely affected by the repeal of the rule. These include areas in the the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest; Chelan area, Boiling Lake, Sawtooth area, Eagle, Martin, Cooney, Crater Lakes. Bigelow, Martin, and Switchback Peaks, Libby Creek trail, East Fork Buttermil trail, West Fork Buttermilk trail, Eagle Creek trail, Willliams Creek trail, Heather Maple Pass trail. Tobinson, Golden Horn, Tower, Hardy, Azuirte, Gardner and N Gardner Peaks, Grasshopper Pass, Cutthroat Pass, Snowy Lakes. Long Swamp area: Thirty Mile trailhead, Chewuch trailhead. Pasayten Rim: Copper Glance trailhead, Big Craggy and W Craggy Peaks. Myrtly Lake; Phelps Creek trailhead, Entiat River trailhead. Twin Lakes area: Dirty Face trailhead. nason Ridge area: Rock Mountain, Merritt Lake trail. Alpine Lakes area: Jim Hill Mountain, Lanham Lake trail. Heather Lake area; Skyline Ridge trail, Lake Minotaur trailhead, Heather Lake trailhead.
Also trails, mountains and lakes in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie NF and Gifford Pinchot NF; Glacier Peak area, Boulder River area, Maount Baker area, Horseshoe area.