The roadless areas are set aside for all Americans to use, not just big corporate privateers. The comments were wildly in favor of protecting the roadless areas, resoundingly favoring even more restrictive policies than those proposed. Surprising to me were the results of a January 2000 survey by Republican pollster, Linda DiVall, which showed that 76 percent of Americans supported a policy to protect roadless areas permanently. This included 62 percent of Republicans polled. There are more fires in areas WITH roads than there are in the roadless areas.
Careless people start most forest fires.
The roadless areas are far more resistant to fires than logged areas left full of slash, debris and dense underbrush. Those logged areas are no longer shaded and cool, which allows the sun to bake the logging waste into tinder, ready and waiting for a lightning strike or a careless person. Here are some numbers to consider. The roads that allow access for mining, natural gas wells and logging are built by the U.S. Forest Service, using our tax dollars. Not only do we pay to build the roads, we pay to maintain them.