Rescinding ‘Roadless Rule’ threatens Oregon’s public lands

Timothy Ingalsbee, executive director of Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics and Ecology in Eugene, said changing the rule has nothing to do with fire prevention.

“Rescinding protection of the roadless area is about extracting commodity resources and exerting power over the landscape, not fire prevention,” Ingalsbee said. “It’s a losing proposition. It’s not about firefighting, it’s staking out landscapes for logging, grazing, mining or drilling. That’s what this administration is all about. These places are so remote and rugged that building a road is destructive. It won’t last. It’s a huge expense for taxpayers.”