Roadless Area Conservation Rule of 2001

Open Letter To President Bush and the Congress of the United States:

Please reinstate the Roadless Area Conservation Rule of 2001. As a Nation, we take pride in our National Treasures, among which are Roadless Areas that preserve the very core of the American Spirit. Not only do we, the people, need areas untouched and untrammeled by machinery, the eco-system needs these areas if we are to survive as a Nation. Backcountry areas revive the human spirit as much as they protect our physical environment.

I read of other Countries who have no conservation or preservation policies. Their population has decimated (and usually eaten) what we consider 'wildlife' (birds, mammals large and small). One of the strangest occurrences is to be in a Country where there are so few birds that hearing one sing is considered a special occasion. Hearing birds sing is a given in the United States. And it is due to habitat in Roadless Areas that promotes the continued propagation of birds by protecting flyways.

It makes me proud that in the United States, we have protected areas where our wildlife and our watersheds will not be disturbed. As a backpacker, I urge you to reinstate the Roadless Area Conservation Rule of 2001 and to protect the Roadless Areas in perpetuity so that I and my grandchildren can enjoy a backcountry experience filled with the sights and sounds only available in such places.

Thank you.
Backpacker, Kayaker, Mother of two, Grandmother of six.