Oregon’s FUSEE (Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics & Ecology) recently sent a letter to Congress signed by 118 wildland firefighters outlining the dangers to wildland firefighters should the Roadless Rule be rescinded. Their message: Opening pristine wilderness areas to new roads would only increase wildfires. In addition, logging roads in steep backcountry are bad tactical ground for holding fire lines and staging crews. They also pull resources from already stretched teams.

It’s highly disturbing now that Congress pegged on an amendment to the Wildfire Prevention Act of 2025 that would nullify the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. This bill threatens nearly 2 million acres of pristine and peaceful public forests in Oregon. It puts the safety of our already overwhelmed firefighters at risk. Nearly 85% of all wildland fires are caused by humans.

More roads bring more people, hence more fires. They disrupt endangered wildlife and threaten our clean drinking water. It is critical for all of us to write our senators and entreat them to vote down this bill. We also need Congress to co-sponsor the Roadless Area Conservation Act sponsored by Rep. Andrea Salinas of Oregon.

Our environmental future is at stake, as well as over 25 million acres of national public forest.

Tom Derungs
Eugene