As a Texan transplant, I found in Oregon the true majesty of the American birthright: public lands, roughly two million acres of which are protected as inventoried roadless areas here. If the roadless rule is revoked and these places are opened to commercial extraction, they will be profoundly and permanently changed for the worse. Beyond providing world-class recreation, they are critical wildlife habitat and a source of clean water for many communities.
As a resident of Portland, I enjoy more protected land within an hour's drive than I could fully experience in a lifetime. I'm especially fond of the country on both sides of Highway 35, south of Hood River in the Mt. Hood National Forest, some of the finest terrain for bicycling in all of America. My time in these wild places has changed the course of my life for the better, and I consider putting them at risk for industrial development unacceptable. Public lands belong to all of us.
I am also concerned about wildfire. Opening these areas to road building increases human access and the likelihood of human-caused ignitions, at a time when climate change is intensifying fire seasons. Oregonians would bear that added significant risk.
Finally, the draft EIS itself acknowledges a $6.9 billion deferred maintenance backlog for the National Forest road system. The agency does not have the staff or funding to maintain the roads it already has. Building more will compound that backlog, add to the strain on forests that Oregonians and tribal nations depend on, and leave us all more exposed in the face of climate change.
I urge the Forest Service to select the no-action alternative and retain the 2001 Roadless Rule.