1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

I urge you to oppose HB7695, which would nullify the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule and mandate new road construction across National Forest System lands. This legislation threatens 58.5 million acres of protected roadless areas that have remained undeveloped for over two decades, providing critical habitat, clean water, and recreation opportunities for millions of Americans. The 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule represents one of the most successful forest conservation policies in our nation's history. HB7695 would eliminate all protections this rule provides, opening previously protected areas to commercial logging, mining, and development. The bill goes further by requiring the Secretary of Agriculture to construct roads in these areas without specifying locations, priorities, or environmental safeguards. This mandate creates an unfunded obligation potentially costing taxpayers billions of dollars for construction and perpetual maintenance, with no appropriations provided. The environmental consequences are severe. Road construction in roadless areas causes habitat fragmentation, increased erosion and sedimentation that degrades water quality for downstream communities, disruption of wildlife corridors, and loss of wilderness character. These areas also provide natural climate resilience through carbon sequestration and intact forest ecosystems. Expanding road networks increases wildfire risk by providing ignition sources and access points while making suppression more difficult in remote terrain. HB7695 eliminates public participation processes and environmental review requirements that characterized the original roadless rule, which involved extensive stakeholder input. The bill provides no consultation requirements with states, tribes, or local communities whose lands and resources would be directly affected. This approach disregards the interests of non-motorized recreation users, conservation organizations, and the millions of Americans who value wilderness preservation. I ask you to oppose HB7695 and preserve the Roadless Area Conservation Rule that protects our national forests for current and future generations.