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I oppose the proposal to fully or partially rescind the Roadless Area Conservation Rule. My name is Maeve, I am a current graduate student studying natural resource management at Oregon State University in Corvallis Oregon. I work in a research forest in the Willamette National Forest (WNF), which is located near several roadless areas that would be impacted by the rescinding of the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, namely Gordon Meadows in the Willamette NF. I research water quality impacts by fire in the WNF, and travel on old logging roads/USFS roads frequently for my work. I have seen firsthand what road failure does to the hydrology of these forests, and how roads interrupt the hydrology of slopes, bleeding sediment into streams that negatively impacts water quality (Jones & Grant, 1996).
I support wilderness areas without road access because they provide true wilderness habitat for the benefit of the American people, as well as habitat for native species. Roads introduce many changes and alterations to wilderness. One is that roads increase ignition points in forests: 90% of fires in the US (1986-1996) of any cause started less than 1/2 of a mile from a road (Roads and Wildfires, Morrison, 2014). In that same report, it was noted that less than 3% of all fires started more than a mile from a road - wilderness areas are buffers for fire ignitions. Increased logging from more roads poses more risk than benefit - the real threat of more logging is losing the services that wilderness areas with old growth forests provide. These areas support the production of clean water to millions of Americans, as well as sequester carbon to keep our atmosphere healthy and reduce the greenhouse effect.
For the reasons listed above, fully or partially rescinding the Roadless Rule under Alternatives 2 and 3 of the draft Environmental Impact Statement would be a grave mistake. I am asking the Forest Service to oppose the proposal to partially or fully rescind the Roadless Area Conservation Rule for the sake and benefit of the American People. I ask that you support Alternative 1, the No Action alternative.