99% of public comments opposed to ending Roadless Rule

[Irrelevant]

Gosh, that North Fork project is terrifying. Not the actual project, but the map of the deposit. There is a place within that footprint that means a tremendous amount to me, one I just spent a week wandering through, thankful that O&G hadn't found it. Yet.

 

[smb4whlr]

I'd imagine less than 1% of Americans are aware of this

Howdy! Yes, and most wouldn’t understand the importance of the rule standing or how critical fighting for it is.

 

[Irrelevant]

https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/5706837-roadless-conservation-rule-repeal/

Together, we have served as U.S. Forest Service chiefs for both Republican and Democratic administrations. We know that forest management decisions never come without debate, opinions and — more often than not — disagreement. Each of us has had to strike the difficult balance between leaving some forests intact, while sustainably using others to benefit communities and economies.

But regardless of who is in the White House, one thing has always remained true: Americans value their national forests, and they want to see them protected for the benefits they provide us, like clean air, water, abundant recreation opportunities and sustainable economies.
...
When the Roadless Rule was proposed, the Forest Service was carrying a maintenance backlog of more than $8 billion on its existing road system. Circumstances have not improved since then. The overall deferred maintenance backlog for the agency today is $8.6 billion, and with recent staffing and budget cuts, the situation will get worse.

Unmaintained roads lead to soil erosion, landslides in mountainous terrain and degraded water quality. Why build more roads when the agency, strapped for resources, can’t even maintain the ones that already exist?
...
Mike Dombeck served as U.S. Forest Service chief from 1997 to 2001.
Dale Bosworth served as U.S. Forest Service chief from 2001-2007.
Tom Tidwell served as U.S. Forest Service chief from 2009 to 2017 and
Vicki Christiansen served as U.S. Forest Service chief from 2018 to 2021.