Summary: The Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation (SAF) has submitted formal comments supporting the USDA’s proposed revisions to U.S. Forest Service travel management regulations, advocating for a uniform presumption of open access for hunters, anglers, and trappers balanced with enforceable safeguards for wildlife habitat.
On Sept. 21, the Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The comments respond to the agency’s notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) and initiate rulemaking to revise the U.S. Forest Service’s travel management regulations. Specifically, the department is proposing to establish a uniform national policy favoring increased access. The proposal simplifies regulatory requirements and preserves local, forest-level decision making. SAF supports this balanced approach.
Sportsmen’s Alliance Reacts to Increased Access Proposal
“The Sportsmen’s Alliance will always support efforts to provide increased access for hunters, anglers, and trappers” said Rob Sexton, Senior Vice President at the Sportsmen’s Alliance. “This proposal does just that. However, we also believe access opening and creation should be balanced with the need to conserve habitat and wildlife, protect important migration corridors, and otherwise ensure that natural resources are not unduly impacted by off-road recreational vehicles.”
What is the Department of Agriculture Proposing on National Forest System Lands?
USDA’s proposal would establish a new regulatory framework governing local decision making with respect to travel management. Consequently, SAF supports amended regulations establishing a presumption of openness for existing roads, trails, airfields, trailheads, and other access routes and points on National Forest System lands unless appropriately closed.
Furthermore, we agree with the necessity of the environmental review of the proposal, including the EIS, to identify and evaluate the anticipated impacts and benefits of such a policy change. We also recognize and appreciate the use of regulatory and statutory safeguards to ensure that negative impacts to habitat and wildlife are minimized.
Additionally, the proposal would establish an annual review for each forest unit. This process will identify closed or highly restricted trails, roads, airfields, trailheads, and other access routes and points that may warrant reconsideration to be opened. SAF believes this process must be clearly defined and enforceable, and ensure a route would be reopened only through the process prescribed and only if reopening would be consistent with applicable law and other governing access and closure criteria. Similarly, SAF backs the proposal to establish a requirement to consider new roads, trails, airfields, trailheads, and other access routes and points where appropriate to increase access, subject to the objectives and considerations outlined in individual NFS land management plans.
Finally, proposal would establish processes and conditions for authorizing limited off-route motor vehicle and other motorized equipment use. This includes access for downed big-game retrieval, firewood collection, dispersed camping, and for designating areas for over-snow and other motorized recreation. SAF generally supports these access opportunities. However, we’ve urged USDA to clearly define and specify whether each use would be authorized through a route or area designation, a written authorization, or a categorical exemption, and we also support the establishment of strong geographic, seasonal, vehicle-class, and resource-protection conditions. These processes and conditions must be clearly defined, specific, and enforceable to ensure compliance and minimal environmental impact.
Next Steps in the Rulemaking Process
- The comment period on the notice of intent to prepare an EIS and initiate rulemaking closes in the coming days.
- After closure, the USDA will evaluate comments and commence its environmental review of the potential impacts of the proposed actions.
- Once completed, the public will again have the opportunity to provide comments on the EIS and proposed actions before they would become regulation.
Protecting the Legacy of Hunters, Anglers, and Trappers
Issues like these are at the heart of the Sportsmen’s Alliance mission, and we will continue to monitor this important matter. Don’t stand on the sidelines—join us as a member or a donor of the Sportsmen’s Legal Defense Fund in protecting tomorrow’s hunting, fishing, and trapping heritage today.
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