Many Environmental Groups, including MNGI, are opposing the rescission of the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. Below is a sample email that you can use to submit public comment. The Public Comment period is open until Oct 6, 2026. We recommend, submitting a comment in the portal (HERE) as well as sending an email to:

Tom Schultz (Chief of the Forest Service) tom.schultz@usda.gov and to

Brooke Rollins (Secretary of USDA) brooke.rollins@usda.gov

Also, our Senators and Representatives need to hear our voices as well even though this change – if it happens – is an administrative change, legislators can put pressure. North Carolina Senators:

Thom Tillis – https://www.tillis.senate.gov/email-me

Ted Budd – https://www.budd.senate.gov/contact/

SAMPLE EMAIL This is a SAMPLE – make it your own with edits. They don’t want to read the same email over and over. Attn: [U.S. Department of Agriculture / U.S. Forest Service / Senator / Representative] Re: Proposed Rescission of the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. I am writing to express my strong opposition to the proposed administrative rescission of the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. Completely repealing these protections from 58.5 million acres of national forest land poses severe, long-term risks to our environment, wildlife, and natural resources. I urge the agency to reject this repeal based on the following critical factors: Increased Wildfire Risk: While the agency states this repeal is intended to mitigate wildfire risk, expanding road networks into intact forests historically increases human-caused ignition points. Data shows a vast majority of wildfires originate near existing roads. Introducing new roads will exacerbate, rather than solve, the rising threat of severe wildfires. Degradation of Water Quality: Roadless areas protect the headwaters of critical municipal watersheds that supply clean drinking water to millions of Americans. Allowing road construction and commercial timber harvesting in these fragile areas will cause soil erosion, increase sedimentation in streams, and degrade essential water infrastructure. Loss of Biodiversity & Migration Corridors: Intact, unfragmented forests are vital for the survival of numerous threatened and endangered species. Removing roadless protections will fracture crucial migration corridors, disrupt wildlife habitats, and accelerate the loss of biodiversity at a time when climate resilience should be prioritized. Economic and Climate Impacts: National forests act as vital carbon sinks that absorb greenhouse gases. Commercial exploitation of these areas undermines national climate goals. Furthermore, the Forest Service already faces a massive multi-billion-dollar maintenance backlog for existing roads; adding more roads is fiscally irresponsible and structurally unsustainable. For these reasons, I strongly urge the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Forest Service to maintain the 2001 Roadless Rule protections.