New Mexico Wild authored and submitted comprehensive comments opposing the U.S. Forest Service’s proposal to rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, joined by 24 partner organizations. The 40-page letter details how eliminating protections for New Mexico’s 1.6 million acres of Inventoried Roadless Areas would harm the state’s drinking water supply, wildlife habitat, outdoor recreation economy, and cultural resources. In our comments, we argue that the agency’s justification lacks scientific basis and that rescinding the rule would be fiscally irresponsible, as roadless areas already allow wildfire suppression and fuel reduction activities while providing critical ecosystem services worth millions of dollars annually to New Mexico communities.
