rich 1.0 Action Network https://actionnetwork.org <link href='https://actionnetwork.org/css/style-embed-v3.css' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' /><script src='https://actionnetwork.org/widgets/v6/petition/keep-our-national-forests-and-communities-protected?format=js&source=widget'></script><div id='can-petition-area-keep-our-national-forests-and-communities-protected' style='width: 100%'><!-- this div is the target for our HTML insertion --></div> Appalachian Voices https://actionnetwork.org/groups/appalachian-voices https://can2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/petitions/photos/000/814/017/normal/AN_header_(1).jpg Our forests are one of our most important natural resources. They provide opportunities for recreation, create habitat for wildlife and keep our air and water clean. They also protect us from the worst impacts of climate change. The U.S. Forest Service has proposed rolling back the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule that protects some of our most precious national forest areas. If finalized, this decision would result in more logging and road construction in our national forests and greater risks of flooding, landslides and fires in our communities. The Forest Service has claimed that the rollback is essential because it will give local decision-makers greater control over how national forests are managed and make it easier to fight wildfires. But the Trump-Vance administration’s repeated efforts to limit public participation in government decision-making mean that local communities won’t really have a say in how these lands are managed. And greater road construction and logging in our forests will increase the likelihood of fires starting and contribute to the spread of fire-prone invasive species — meaning the proposal could actually worsen wildfire risks. In 2025, the administration directed the Forest Service and other agencies to increase timber production on federal land. This is likely the true impetus behind the proposal, and it's yet another giveaway to industry that leaves communities paying the price. The impact of this decision will be felt especially hard in Appalachia, a region that is particularly susceptible to heavy rains and damaging floods. Our trees slow the flow of water during heavy rains and hold the soil in place, preventing erosion and allowing more water to be absorbed. Research shows that past deforestation of areas for mining and logging significantly contributes to the severity of flooding. And climate change is making these dangerous rain events more frequent and severe. We should work to make communities more resilient to flooding, not take away the protections we already have. Sign our petition telling the Forest Service to KEEP the Roadless Rule and protect our forests and communities. https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/keep-our-national-forests-and-communities-protected