Vote No on S140 - Keep America’s Lands Beautiful & Safe

I strongly urge you to vote NO on S. 140 and reject this dangerous attack on America’s National Forests and Roadless Areas. Americans cherish our wild public lands. These places belong to all of us—not logging companies, not special interests, and not politicians seeking to bypass public input. From hunters and anglers to hikers, campers, birdwatchers, and families seeking peace in nature, millions of Americans treasure these lands and want them protected for future generations. Despite being marketed as a wildfire prevention bill, S. 140 is a thinly disguised effort to expand industrial logging while silencing the public. The bill would mandate logging levels in National Forests, weaken environmental review requirements, and strip Americans of their right to comment on projects that affect lands they own. Even more alarming is Senator Mike Lee’s amendment, which would eliminate the Roadless Area Conservation Rule and permanently prevent similar protections from being restored. This would open approximately 45 million acres of some of our nation’s most pristine forests to road construction, logging, and industrial development. It directly ignores the will of the American people. During a recent public comment period on roadless protections, an overwhelming majority of comments supported keeping these safeguards in place. Roadless Areas are among the most ecologically valuable landscapes in the United States. They provide critical wildlife habitat, safeguard clean drinking water for millions of Americans, and preserve the wild character of our forests. Opening these areas to more roads and logging is fiscally irresponsible when the Forest Service already faces billions of dollars in deferred road maintenance. Research also shows that roads increase human-caused wildfire ignitions, undermining claims that this bill would reduce wildfire risk. Congress should not be dictating logging quotas, eliminating environmental safeguards, or silencing public participation. Americans love their public lands, and we expect our elected leaders to protect them—not auction them off piece by piece. Please stand with the American people and vote NO on S. 140.