Olympic National Forest has always been my backyard: I grew up on the Olympic Peninsula, and I now live in Seattle. Over the years while hiking, camping, and exploring, I have had many magical encounters with Roosevelt elk, Olympic marmots, and all the salmon who also count these places as their home. My family has visited Lake Quinault every winter for almost as long as I can remember, and nothing compares to the foggy, frigid peace of the rainforest in winter. (The South Quinault roadless area, 11,081 acres inside Olympic National Forest, is one of the areas that will be affected by rescinding the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule.)
The agency has failed adequately consider the impacts rescinding the Roadless Rule would have on recreation, water access, ecosystem preservation (particularly where the ONF acts as a “buffer” to Olympic National Park), and wildfires (one of the most pressing issues facing our forests today, as we now see every summer). This is not what responsible forestry looks like. I oppose this rescission and support proceeding with Alternative 1 - No Action.