Dear USFS:
I have lived in Pendleton, Oregon for 21 years. During that time I have come to see the ecological damage caused by road development in the forest. Around 2001 or 2002 I volunteered with members of the Blue Mountain Mountain Chapter of Trout Unlimited to work with the Malheur National Forest to CLOSE roads in the national forest south of John Day. The roads were deemed unnecessary and potential pollutant sources.
Fact: road development exposes soil to erosion that pollutes the nearby streams. Roads fragment the forest, relocate and kill wildlife, are sources of industrial noise pollution, and are a primary source for wildfire ignition by making access to the forest easier for motor vehicles.
Fact: Humans cause 84% of wildfires. In 2001 the USFS’s own findings was that roads increase human-caused fire. Moreover, the proposed rule change admits that increased public road access could raise the number and frequency of wildfires.
Fact: Vehicle tires contain 6PPD, a chemical added to minimize material breakdown. 6PPD reacts with ambient atmospheric ozone to form 6PPD-quinone. As tire particles scuff off due to normal road abrasion, roads become a primary source of environmental 6PPD-quinone. Roads, particularly those near streams, culverts and bridges serve as a direct conduit of 6PPD-quinone into surface water particularly during road runoff events. According to the USEPA, 6PPD-quinone is an acute ecotoxin that has been shown to kill salmonids.
I demand that the Roadless Rule remain unchanged. Moreover, I demand that an Endangered Species Act assessment be conducted before any proposed rule change.
Thank you.