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To the Journal editor:
The U.S. Forest Service recently announced plans to repeal the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, established in 2001, that has kept some of our public land free of roads and development.
When the Roadless Rule was established, the Forest Service held hearings across the country and received 1.6 million comments supporting the rule. One of my favorite Roadless Areas in Michigan is the Norwich Plains in the Ottawa National Forest. I have hiked in this area to explore the Trap Hills and was impressed by the scenery and the wildflowers there.
There are also areas covered by the Roadless Rule in the Hiawatha National Forest and the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest in Wisconsin that are within a two-hour drive of Marquette. Since 2001, 54.5 million acres of national forests have been protected under the Roadless Rule.
These areas help protect clean water, provide wildlife habitat and provide recreational opportunities such as hiking, backpacking, hunting, and fishing.
Although some people prefer to drive to sites where they will recreate. Our National Forests have more miles of roads than are found in the interstate highway system and the Forest Service lacks funds to maintain existing roads. There is no shortage of roads for logging, recreation, and fire protection.
The existing Roadless Rule allows for limited road-building and harvest to reduce wildfire risk and some research indicates that there is increase in ignition sources when new roads are built.
I urge readers of The Mining Journal to go to https://www.regulations.gov/document/FS-2025-0001-223869 before Sept. 21 and submit a comment asking the Forest Service to choose the "No Action" alternative and keep the Roadless Rule.