“hike, have memories in the outdoors with family members”
“unfragmented backcountry landscapes”
The comment
I am writing to express my strong opposition to the proposal to fully or partially rescind, weaken, or roll back the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule.
I am an avid hiker and student interested in conservation and our public lands living in Hickory, North Carolina. National forests and inventoried roadless areas matter deeply to me because I hike, have memories in the outdoors with family members, care about the environment and the state of the world for future generations.
Fully or partially rescinding the Roadless Rule would threaten unfragmented backcountry landscapes, wildlife habitats, and clean water sources. Roads fragment ecosystems in ways that cause long-term ecological harm, and dismantling these protections undermines the natural integrity of our public lands.
I urge the Forest Service to drop the proposed rescission and instead support Alternative 1 (the No Action alternative) to maintain full, permanent protections for all currently designated inventoried roadless areas.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on this important issue.
Sincerely,
Delaney Tallent
Hickory, NC 28602