Take Action to Protect the Roadless Rule
The USDA is moving to rescind the 2001 Roadless Rule, which safeguards nearly 60 million acres of national forests that provide clean water, wildlife habitat, and recreation opportunities. The public comment period is closing this Friday September 19th, and this may be our only chance to speak up. Use the links below to submit your official comment and contact your representatives. With environmental law, a win is temporary — but a loss is permanent. Make your voice heard today. Submission of a comment takes <5 minutes.

You can submit comments on the Roadless Rule by visiting the Federal eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov and searching for docket number FS-2025-0001

View full proposal & public docket: FS-2025 Roadless Rule Docket
https://www.regulations.gov/docket/FS-2025-0001

Key Federal Contacts in Tennessee

• Contact Senator Marsha Blackburn (TN) via her email form:
  https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/email-me
• Find your U.S. Senators (TN or any state): Senate.gov contact page
  https://www.senate.gov/senators/contact/
• Find your U.S. House Representative by ZIP: Congress.gov “Find Your Member”
  https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member

*Here is an easy outline for submission

Subject: Keep the Roadless Rule in Place

I am writing to strongly oppose the proposed rescission of the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule.

The Roadless Rule is one of the most successful conservation measures in our nation’s history. It protects nearly 60 million acres of national forests that provide clean drinking water, safeguard wildlife habitat, store carbon, and support billions of dollars in recreation and tourism. These lands are the headwaters of many rivers and are essential to the health of our communities.

The Forest Service already maintains over 380,000 miles of roads—eight times the size of the interstate highway system—with a shrinking budget. Expanding this road network would be fiscally irresponsible and would undermine the agency’s ability to maintain the roads we already have. More roads also mean greater wildfire risk, since the vast majority of wildfires are human-caused.

Contrary to claims made in support of rescission, the Roadless Rule already allows for wildfire management, public safety measures, and other necessary activities. What rescinding the rule would actually do is open the door to expanded logging and mining in some of our most ecologically sensitive and beloved landscapes, for the short-term benefit of private industry at the long-term expense of the American public.

This rule was developed in 2001 after an unprecedented democratic process—600 public meetings and 1.6 million comments. It reflects overwhelming public support for protecting our shared natural heritage. It should not be discarded now through a rushed process heavily influenced by special interests.

I urge the USDA and Forest Service to keep the Roadless Rule in place. Protect our forests, our waters, our climate, and the public interest for generations to come.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[City, State]

unnaturaldisasterpodcast@gmail.com

The Nolichucky River, a cherished resource and lifeline for our community, is under siege. In the rush to rebuild the CSX rail line through the Nolichucky Gorge after Hurricane Helene, ZA Construction’s destructive practices—like dredging the riverbed and demolishing rock formations—are threatening the very ecosystem that gives this river its value. Even more troubling, federal agencies like the Army Corps of Engineers, US Fish and Wildlife, and the US Forest Service have either issued permits that violate cornerstone laws like the Clean Water Act and the Rivers and Harbors Act or have failed to enforce their own regulations. Today, we’ll dive into this critical issue with Patrick Hunter, Managing Attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center in Asheville, who is representing American Whitewater and American Rivers in a legal battle to hold these agencies accountable and protect the Nolichucky for generations to come.

*Please use the resources below to contact the authorities before it's too late!

US Army Corps of Engineers
US Forest Service
US Fish and Wildlife
Google Doc with a list of contacts

unnaturaldisasterpodcast@gmail.com

In this episode, we dive into a pressing environmental crisis unfolding right now on the Nolichucky River, as told by Dennis Ashford—a professor of Chemistry @ Tusculum University, kayaker, and tireless advocate for the protection of one of the most iconic rivers in the Southeast. Dennis and I have crossed paths over the years in Johnson City, with a shared passion for the Nolichucky and its surrounding region. But today, we’re talking about something far more urgent: an ongoing disaster that is threatening the river's future—and it’s happening as we speak.

Dennis has been on the front lines of recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Helene, helping with rescue missions in the aftermath of the catastrophic flooding that devastated western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. But now, he's focusing on a different kind of crisis—one that is largely being ignored, despite its devastating impact on the environment and local communities. The Nolichucky River, a vital natural resource and recreational gem, is being slowly destroyed by preventable practices, and the clock is ticking.

This isn’t just another environmental issue; this is a call to action. The river’s degradation is happening right before our eyes, and it’s not too late to make a difference. Tune in to hear how we can all take a stand before it's too late. Please share this important message and help us spread the word.

Please see the Google Drive Doc below for contact info of officials that can make a difference. Please email me for any thoughts or comments.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1oC8kr8WfLe02xjfrDsdxrXMT_OjG9AzfHLdcHW1vdS0/edit?usp=sharing

https://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Article/view/article_id/OzuqNQSj9cK0ootdD4qCs/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61568460330466

unnaturaldisasterpodcast@gmail.com