Forest Service Travel Management Regulations – Public Comment Deadline

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service has announced its intent to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) and initiate rulemaking to revise travel management regulations found in 36 CFR part 212. The proposed policy aims to establish a national presumption that existing roads, trails, airfields, and trailheads on National Forest System lands are open to public use unless specific, science-based justifications for closure exist. Under the proposed rule, the Forest Service would be required to conduct annual reviews of all closed or highly restricted access routes. The proposal also outlines new processes for limited off-route motor vehicle use, including provisions for big-game retrieval, firewood collection, and dispersed camping, as well as the designation of areas for over-snow motorized recreation. The agency clarifies that this policy shift does not immediately change the legal status of any existing route or area. Current motor vehicle use designations and maps will remain in effect until the new regulations are finalized. The EIS will evaluate the environmental impacts of these proposed revisions and consider various alternatives for managing public access within the framework of multiple-use resource management. The USDA is soliciting public input on the proposal, with written comments due by September 23, 2026. Submissions can be made electronically via the Federal eRulemaking Portal under docket number FS-2026-0100 or by mail to the Public Benefits Office in Washington, DC.