ROADLESS RULE? MORE LIKE ROADLESS BRAINS! FORESTWATCH SOUNDS ALARM ON… ROADS?

Noozhawk, in their tireless pursuit of the obvious, breathlessly announced a 'town hall' hosted by Los Padres ForestWatch, ostensibly to discuss 'threats' to the Roadless Rule. Apparently, the sky is falling because some folks might want to, you know, use our public lands for things other than backpacking and virtue signaling. One has to wonder if these 'safeguards' are less about nature and more about ensuring only those with artisanal hiking boots and plenty of free time can enjoy what our tax dollars support.

The real 'threat' here seems to be to the notion that unelected activists should dictate how millions of acres of forest are managed. While ForestWatch wrings its hands over hypothetical roads, actual threats like devastating wildfires – which improved access can help combat – somehow get less attention. It's almost as if the 'community members' they're inviting are carefully curated to ensure a unanimous chorus of 'not in my (roadless) backyard!'

This isn't about protecting pristine wilderness; it’s about control. Control over resources, control over access, and control over the narrative. The 'threat' isn't to the forest, but to a comfortable, unchallenging worldview that prioritizes abstract ideals over practical land management and public enjoyment. Perhaps instead of town halls about theoretical roads, they could host one on how to swiftly clear fire breaks, or, dare we say, allow for controlled timber harvesting, which is, you know, actual forest management.

But that would require actual thinking beyond 'no roads ever,' and we can’t have that, can we? The Whipping Post suspects this 'town hall' is less about robust debate and more about rallying the faithful to oppose anything that smacks of common sense or economic opportunity. Keep those roads out, keep those fires in, say the folks who never actually fight them.