1. United States
2. Utah
3. Letter

Block the Trump administration's proposal to repeal the roadless rule before the public comment period closes on September 21. This rule has protected tens of millions of acres of public forest land for 25 years. Gutting it would hand over some of America's last wild places to logging and mining interests — and stick taxpayers with the bill. The economics alone should give you pause. Before the roadless rule, the Forest Service ran money-losing timber sales that cost taxpayers billions. Repealing it now would pile onto an already $6 billion Forest Service road maintenance backlog, according to Taxpayers for Common Sense. And the wildfire argument doesn't hold up either — research shows more than 80% of wildland fires are caused by human activity. More backcountry roads mean more ignition sources, not fewer fires. This rule is, as Earthjustice senior attorney Drew Caputo put it, "the most important land protection measure of the last 60 years." These forests belong to all of us. Go on record opposing this repeal and make sure your voice is heard before the September 21 deadline.