I have hiked most of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) which passes through 63 Inventoried Roadless Areas (IRAs) along 288 of its 2653 miles. I write to strongly oppose the proposal to eliminate protections in these and other IRAs around the nation.
The administration falsely claims that road building in IRAs will help to prevent wildfires. In reality, and as numerous studies have shown, the presence of roads greatly increases the chances of ignition from passing vehicles, carelessness, or deliberate arson. Consider the Angeles National Forest that has seen one human-caused fire after another. Now almost no large trees are left. The 2009 Station Fire that burned 160,000 acres was started by an arsonist who used Highway 2 to gain access to the forest near mileage marker 29. The huge network of USDA Forest Service roads that penetrate our national forests have likewise been the source of countless ignitions. Indeed the past century of Forest Service mismanagement has had a devastating effect on these lands, mismanagement that is closely connected with roads. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins is not going to get away with her lies about real sources of most wildfire.
And the mismanagement does not end with fires. Forest Service roads are poorly maintained, eroding the landscape and posing hazards to people that use them. The Forest Service is in no position to expand its road network further; instead it must remove roads and restore our lands. Such a positive activity would protect and enhance trails such as the PCT.
Since the Forest Service has almost entirely given up maintaining trails, this work is largely conducted by dedicated volunteers. Removing protections for IRAs such as the extensive ones found in the Klamath Mountains or Los Padres National Forest would be a slap in the face to the volunteers like me who have worked to cover for the failings of the Forest Service. How dare the administration consider doing this!
Of course we know the reason for this proposal: It is all about serving Mammon, about "getting the cut out" and "getting the oil out." In reality outdoor recreation is a true and enduring source of economic activity -- one that does not devastate the land. The outdoor recreation economy generates $730 billion annually, far more than timber sales. IRAs store 20% of all carbon in U.S. national forests. And IRAs are crucial habitat for 1,600+ threatened species.
The greed and dishonesty of the administration will be its undoing.