Locals Advocate for Los Padres Forest as Roadless Rule Rescind Efforts Continue

"Roads improve access for wildland firefighting when timing is critical, and lives are at risk. ... The lack of maintenance and access have frustrated land managers for years, including firefighters who haven't been able to reach fires in time to slow their spread," they said. "It's also important to note that fire can be beneficial for forest ecosystems. ... Road access allows for more prescribed burning and other treatments that change fire behavior, transforming catastrophic conditions into low-intensity fires that are more easily managed, lower risk, and beneficial for the landscape."

But Central Coast Caucus members, including Assemblymembers Dawn Addis (D-Morro Bay) and Gregg Hart (D-Santa Barbara), disagree and submitted a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins during the public comment period urging the federal government to uphold the Roadless Rule.