Travel Management; National Forest System Lands

Issuing agencies

Abstract

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is initiating an environmental impact statement and rulemaking to revise the Forest Service's travel management regulations, 36 CFR part 212. The proposed action would establish a uniform national policy favoring increased access while simplifying regulatory requirements and preserving local decision-making. The proposed access rule would establish a national policy with a presumption that existing roads, trails, airfields, trailheads, and other access routes and points on National Forest System lands are open to appropriate public use unless closure or restriction is required by applicable law, valid existing rights, or another governing instrument, or supported by specific, documented and justifiable reasons based on science-based resource conditions, public safety, conflicts among uses, or maintenance and administrative capacity. Commonly available public data sets, including aerial imagery, may be used as evidence that a physical route or airfield exists or existed at a time relevant under the definition adopted in the proposed rule, but would not by themselves establish that the feature is part of the forest transportation system, that the Forest Service has jurisdiction or sufficient legal access, or that it is open to a particular public use. The proposed access rule would require annual review of all trails, roads, airfields, trailheads, and other access routes and points that are closed or highly restricted. The proposed access rule would establish processes and conditions for limited off-route motor vehicle use and other motorized equipment for, among other things, downed big-game retrieval, firewood collection and dispersed camping, and for designating areas for over-snow and other motorized recreation. The presumption embodied in the national policy would guide future decisions and would not itself change the legal status of any road, trail, airfield, trailhead, area, or other access route or point. Any change in lawful use resulting from a vehicle- or use-specific exemption would be limited to the scope and conditions expressly provided in the revised regulations. Existing motor vehicle use designations and maps would remain in effect until revised under the amended regulations. The environmental impact statement will evaluate the impacts of the proposed rule revisions and study alternatives for managing public access, including the motorized and other forms of access addressed by the proposed rule, on National Forest System lands in the context of multiple-use resource management. USDA invites written comments on alternatives, effects, and relevant information, studies, or analyses related to the proposal.

Full Text

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 162 (Monday, August 24, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 162 (Monday, August 24, 2026)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 54686-54691]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-17211]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

36 CFR Parts 212 and 261


Travel Management; National Forest System Lands

AGENCY: Forest Service, Agriculture (USDA).

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is initiating an 
environmental impact statement and rulemaking to revise the Forest 
Service's travel management regulations, 36 CFR part 212. The proposed 
action would establish a uniform national policy favoring increased 
access while simplifying regulatory requirements and preserving local 
decision-making. The proposed access rule would establish a national 
policy with a presumption that existing roads, trails, airfields,

[[Page 54687]]

trailheads, and other access routes and points on National Forest 
System lands are open to appropriate public use unless closure or 
restriction is required by applicable law, valid existing rights, or 
another governing instrument, or supported by specific, documented and 
justifiable reasons based on science-based resource conditions, public 
safety, conflicts among uses, or maintenance and administrative 
capacity. Commonly available public data sets, including aerial 
imagery, may be used as evidence that a physical route or airfield 
exists or existed at a time relevant under the definition adopted in 
the proposed rule, but would not by themselves establish that the 
feature is part of the forest transportation system, that the Forest 
Service has jurisdiction or sufficient legal access, or that it is open 
to a particular public use. The proposed access rule would require 
annual review of all trails, roads, airfields, trailheads, and other 
access routes and points that are closed or highly restricted. The 
proposed access rule would establish processes and conditions for 
limited off-route motor vehicle use and other motorized equipment for, 
among other things, downed big-game retrieval, firewood collection and 
dispersed camping, and for designating areas for over-snow and other 
motorized recreation.
    The presumption embodied in the national policy would guide future 
decisions and would not itself change the legal status of any road, 
trail, airfield, trailhead, area, or other access route or point. Any 
change in lawful use resulting from a vehicle- or use-specific 
exemption would be limited to the scope and conditions expressly 
provided in the revised regulations. Existing motor vehicle use 
designations and maps would remain in effect until revised under the 
amended regulations. The environmental impact statement will evaluate 
the impacts of the proposed rule revisions and study alternatives for 
managing public access, including the motorized and other forms of 
access addressed by the proposed rule, on National Forest System lands 
in the context of multiple-use resource management. USDA invites 
written comments on alternatives, effects, and relevant information, 
studies, or analyses related to the proposal.

DATES: Comments must be received in writing by September 23, 2026.

ADDRESSES: Additional information, including the eventual publication 
of the environmental impact statement and record of decision, can be 
found on the following website: <a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/visit/recreation/programs/off-highway-vehicle-program">https://www.fs.usda.gov/visit/recreation/programs/off-highway-vehicle-program</a>. Comments must be 
submitted via one of the following methods:
    <bullet> Electronically (preferred): Through the Federal 
eRulemaking Portal, <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>, identified by docket 
number FS-2026-0100. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
    <bullet> Mail: Hardcopy letters must be submitted to the Director, 
Public Benefits, 201 14th Street SW, Public Benefits Office, 
Washington, DC 20250.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jim Bacon, Acting Director, Public 
Benefits, at the following phone number: 707-562-8856. Individuals who 
are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability may call 711 to 
reach the Telecommunications Relay Service, then provide the phone 
number of the person named as a point of contact for further 
information.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Overview of the Travel Management Rule

    The Travel Management Rule (TMR), found at 36 Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR) part 212, provides the regulatory framework for 
managing the National Forest System (NFS) transportation system and 
public motor vehicle use. The rule is organized into subparts A, B, and 
C.
    Most operative provisions now in subpart A predate the 2005 TMR. In 
2005, the Forest Service designated existing sections 212.1 through 
212.21 as subpart A and revised section 212.1. Subpart A outlines how 
the Forest Service (Agency) plans, develops, and manages the forest 
transportation system. It includes definitions, requirements for the 
transportation program, and specific provisions related to:
    <bullet> Cooperative work with partners (section 212.3).
    <bullet> Road construction and maintenance and road system 
management (sections 212.4 and 212.5).
    <bullet> Ingress and egress rights, access procurement by the 
United States, and permission to cross NFS lands and easements 
(sections 212.6, 212.7, and 212.8).
    <bullet> Principles for shared use of roads (section 212.9).
    <bullet> Maximum economy road standards (section 212.10).
    <bullet> Administration of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail 
(section 212.21).
    These provisions establish the access, construction and 
maintenance, cooperative management, procurement, and fiscal 
responsibilities necessary for administering the forest transportation 
system.
    Part 295 implemented Executive Orders (E.O.s) 11644 and 11989 by 
providing for the designation of areas and trails on which off-road 
vehicle use was allowed, restricted, or prohibited. The 2005 TMR 
superseded part 295 and established subpart B's unit-wide system of 
motor vehicle use designations. The 2015 rule revised subpart C to 
require over-snow vehicle use designations on units with adequate 
snowfall where such use occurs. Subparts B and C:
    <bullet> Require each unit to identify NFS roads, NFS trails, and 
areas on NFS lands that are designated for public motor vehicle use and 
generally prohibit motor vehicle use outside or inconsistent with those 
designations (sections 212.50 and 212.80).
    <bullet> Establish criteria, public input requirements, 
coordination with governments, and environmental considerations for 
designations (sections 212.52, 212.53, and 212.55).
    <bullet> Require publication of designations on motor vehicle use 
maps and over-snow vehicle use maps (sections 212.51, 212.56, and 
212.81).
    <bullet> Provide direction for revision of designations (section 
212.54).
    <bullet> Provide direction for monitoring effects of motor vehicle 
use (section 212.57).
    Subparts B and C responded to growing off-road vehicle use and the 
need to protect natural resources from the proliferation of user-
created routes and to reduce conflicts among uses. Publication of maps 
identifying designated roads, trails, and areas inform the public 
where, when, and which motor vehicle uses were permitted, and helped 
deter user-created routes and associated adverse environmental impacts.

Implementation of the Travel Management Rule Since 2005

    Since 2005, all but 6 of the 154 national forest units and 20 
national grassland units have established motor vehicle use maps 
(MVUMs) designating roads, trails, and areas open to public motor 
vehicle use. Over-snow vehicle use maps (OSVUMs) have been established 
on 25 of the estimated 101 units that receive adequate snowfall to 
warrant over-snow travel management.
    The TMR provided a complex procedural framework to counter the 
proliferation of user-created motor vehicle routes and established an 
inflexible, nationally-driven framework for designating roads, trails, 
and areas open or closed to public motor vehicle use. Maps showing 
these designations

[[Page 54688]]

were published and are presently in use on those administrative units 
where travel management planning has been completed.

Rescission of Executive Orders 11644 and 11989

    On May 29, 2026, the President signed E.O. 14408, Removing 
Unnecessary and Counterproductive Restrictions on Access to Federal 
Lands. E.O. 14408 rescinded E.O.s 11644 and 11989, which the current 
TMR implemented, and directed relevant agencies to initiate rulemaking 
to rescind or revise regulations previously adopted to implement those 
Orders.

Purpose and Need

    Under the Secretary's statutory authority to regulate the use and 
occupancy of NFS lands, including 16 U.S.C. 551, and, as applicable to 
national grasslands and other lands administered under title III of the 
Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act, 7 U.S.C. 1011(f), and in light of the 
administrative costs and challenges associated with implementing the 
TMR, and recognizing the policy set forth in E.O. 14408, the Department 
proposes to revise 36 CFR part 212 and associated provisions in part 
261 to alleviate unnecessary regulatory burdens, establish a modern 
access and travel-management framework that addresses current needs and 
changing conditions, and increase public access to NFS lands while 
retaining legally required protections and building upon the 
designation and mapping framework established since 2005.
    E.O. 14408 states that technological, operational, and land-
management developments support replacing the designation criteria 
derived from E.O.s 11644 and 11989 with a framework grounded in 
applicable statutory authorities. Conditions within and adjacent to NFS 
lands also have changed since the prior Executive Orders were issued 
and the travel management regulations were originally promulgated and 
revised. These changes include an expanding wildland-urban interface; 
growing impacts of extreme wildfire, drought, and insect and disease 
infestations; increasing public recreation and access needs; and 
changing recreation technology.
    Based on the Department's review of past travel management public 
process comments, lawsuits, and planning implementation timeframes, the 
Department believes that specified TMR requirements governing 
designation, minimization, and narrowly defined prohibitions may 
overlap with requirements imposed by other authorities or may 
unnecessarily delay some designation revisions. Twenty years of 
implementation indicate that applying the same TMR-specific procedures 
to every designation revision, regardless of scale, may impose time and 
analytical burdens disproportionate to minor or iterative adjustments. 
The Department therefore is considering a framework that would 
distinguish clerical corrections and minor designation revisions from 
more substantive changes while retaining nationally uniform mapping, 
publication, transition, and enforcement requirements.
    E.O. 14408 rescinded E.O.s 11644 and 11989 and directs agencies to 
rescind or revise regulations previously adopted to implement those 
Orders. The Department is exercising its independent statutory 
discretion to determine the most appropriate process for balancing 
competing values and uses, while ensuring public access to NFS lands 
within the existing multiple-uses framework.
    Exercising its independent statutory authority, the Department 
proposes to remove the national minimization criteria and establish a 
nationally applicable access policy under which local officials would 
make designation and closure decisions based on documented local 
conditions and needs, subject to applicable law, valid existing rights, 
and the revised regulations.
    Except as expressly identified in the proposed rule, the proposed 
action would not alter requirements imposed by other statutory 
authorities for environmental review, public involvement, or 
administrative review.
    The Department proposes to replace the minimization criteria and 
other identified TMR-specific procedures with an access-oriented 
framework grounded in applicable statutes, regulations, and the 
proposed access rule, as follows:
    (1) Clarify the relationship between land management planning under 
the National Forest Management Act and travel management or access 
decisions under this part. Land management plans establish the broad, 
integrated framework for managing NFS lands. They do not themselves 
authorize individual projects or activities. Decisions concerning the 
designation, management, modification, or discontinuation of particular 
roads, trails, areas, and classes of motor vehicle use are 
implementation-level decisions that are appropriately made by 
responsible officials based on current site-specific conditions and 
management needs.
    (2) Experience implementing the 2005 TMR demonstrates that 
unnecessarily linking travel management decisions to land management 
planning can reduce the flexibility necessary to respond to changing 
access needs, recreation demands, resource conditions, wildfire and 
other disturbances, public safety concerns, maintenance capabilities, 
and available funding. Land management plans typically operate over 
long planning horizons, while transportation systems and public uses 
may require more timely adjustment.
    (3) Accordingly, the proposed rule would acknowledge the need to 
remain consistent with the National Forest Management Act but would 
clarify that travel management or access decisions are not land 
management planning decisions and need not be made through the 
procedures governing development, amendment, or revision of land 
management plans, unless a plan amendment or revision is required to 
resolve inconsistency with an applicable plan component. Within those 
constraints, responsible officials would retain discretion to make 
access decisions under this part based on the circumstances presented 
at the time of the decision.
    (4) Travel planning is subject to review under the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), as applicable. For an EIS, USDA's NEPA 
regulations require analysis of reasonably foreseeable significant 
effects and provide for the use of design criteria, where appropriate, 
to avoid or minimize adverse effects (7 CFR 1b.7(h)(5)(i)-(ii), 
1b.11(a)(11)-(12)).
    (5) Motor vehicle use designations also must comply with other 
applicable laws, including the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, 
Endangered Species Act, National Trails System Act, National Historic 
Preservation Act, and Wilderness Act. Because land management plans and 
NEPA do not necessarily supply all of the substantive designation 
criteria or public-participation procedures currently contained in part 
212, the revised regulations would identify the standards and 
procedures that will govern future designation and closure decisions.
    Revisions to 36 CFR parts 212 and 261 are proposed to remove the 
current minimization criteria and streamline specified process 
requirements in light of applicable statutory requirements.
    Section 212.54 currently applies the public-involvement, 
governmental-coordination, and designation-criteria requirements in 
sections 212.52, 212.53, and 212.55 to revisions of motor vehicle use 
designations, including minor revisions. The proposed access rule will

[[Page 54689]]

simplify this requirement, as the appropriate level of NEPA review 
depends on the circumstances, and clerical map corrections that do not 
revise a designation may be handled separately. Section 212.54 applies 
the TMR-specific public-involvement, governmental-coordination, and 
designation-criteria requirements to revisions regardless of scale. The 
Department believes that applying the full set of those procedures to 
minor revisions may impose burdens disproportionate to the decision. 
The proposed rule therefore would distinguish clerical corrections and 
minor designation revisions from more substantial changes and specify 
the procedures applicable to each. Regular and timely updates to MVUMs 
and OSVUMs have been important to meet community needs and provide 
access for a broad range of recreational, subsistence, and other uses. 
These maps did not create, extinguish, or alter valid existing rights. 
The proposed access rule would require integrated digital maps to be 
made available to the public that show access rules for all trails, 
roads, airfields, trailheads, and other access routes and points and 
would be the authoritative public source for designations made under 
the revised regulations. The map would publish designations and 
restrictions adopted through the procedures prescribed by the revised 
regulations. A clerical map correction would not itself change lawful 
public use.
    The proposed access rule would also support implementation of 
section 127 of the EXPLORE Act, which directs the Secretary to seek to 
provide publicly available, GIS-compatible motor vehicle use maps for 
each NFS unit within the statutory timeframe and to update those maps 
periodically, in accordance with existing law. The EXPLORE Act also 
directs the Secretary to seek to create additional opportunities, as 
appropriate and in accordance with existing law, for motorized and non-
motorized access and recreation.
    The purpose of the proposed action is deregulatory with an intent 
to modernize the Agency's travel-planning process, making it less 
burdensome, more efficient and timelier, and more responsive to 
recreational and other access needs on forests and grasslands across 
the country. The amended regulations would also support the 
Administration's focus on increasing access and recreational 
opportunities on Federal lands.
    In addition, the Department seeks to reduce duplication between 
land management planning, environmental review, and travel planning.
    Applicable land management plans and NEPA analysis inform local 
decisions but do not themselves establish all substantive or procedural 
standards for motor vehicle use designations. The amended regulations 
therefore would establish the governing national access and closure 
criteria and retain uniform mapping, publication, vehicle-class, 
transition, and enforcement requirements. Within that framework, local 
managers could update public motor vehicle access more efficiently 
based on documented local conditions, consistent with applicable law, 
valid existing rights, and other governing instruments.

Preliminary Description of Proposed Action

    The proposed action would establish a new national policy to guide 
local travel-management decisions, remove the minimization criteria in 
subparts B and C, revise other identified process requirements, and 
separately amend subpart A as described below.
    Future changes to public access covered by the amended regulations 
would be governed by the proposed access rule, applicable laws, valid 
existing rights, other governing instruments, and public participation 
and governmental coordination requirements identified in the amended 
rule, Tribal consultation requirements, local access needs, and 
documented resource and safety considerations. Maps showing designated 
roads, trails, airfields, trailheads, and other access routes and 
points would continue to be published and periodically updated for each 
NFS administrative unit.
    The proposed regulations would establish a new regulatory framework 
governing local decision-making. The Department invites public comment 
on the following components of that framework:
    1. The amended regulations would establish a presumption that 
existing roads, trails, airfields, trailheads, and other access routes 
and points on NFS lands are open to appropriate public use unless 
closure or restriction is required by applicable law, valid existing 
rights, or another governing instrument, or is supported by specific, 
documented and justifiable reasons based on science-based resource 
conditions, public safety, conflicts among uses, or maintenance and 
administrative capacity. This presumption would include access along 
section lines in certain national grasslands in North Dakota. The 
presumption would not itself establish the existence, ownership, or 
scope of a public right-of-way or establish Forest Service jurisdiction 
or legal access. Seasonal restrictions could be applied. The amended 
regulations would require, subject to available appropriations, an 
annual unit-level process to identify closed or highly restricted 
trails, roads, airfields, trailheads, and other access routes and 
points that may warrant reconsideration. The responsible official would 
conduct the review and indicate which routes or access points may be 
reconsidered for a change in status. A route would be reopened only 
through the process prescribed by the proposed access rule and only if 
reopening would be consistent with applicable law, valid existing 
rights, other governing instruments, available appropriations, and the 
governing access and closure criteria.
    2. The proposed access rule would establish a requirement to 
consider new roads, trails, airfields, trailheads, and other access 
routes and points where appropriate to increase access. The policy 
would not itself authorize construction or commit resources and would 
remain subject to applicable law, valid existing rights, governing 
instruments, site-specific review, and available appropriations.
    3. The proposed regulations would address Forest Service management 
of NFS airfields and the use of NFS lands for aircraft landing and 
takeoff. It would identify the regulations and existing airfield or 
aircraft restrictions proposed for amendment and the criteria and 
process for opening, restricting, or closing an airfield.
    4. The proposed access rule would establish processes and 
conditions for authorizing limited off-route motor vehicle and other 
motorized equipment use for, among other things, downed big-game 
retrieval, firewood collection, dispersed camping, and for designating 
areas for over-snow and other motorized recreation. The proposed 
regulations would specify whether each use would be authorized through 
a route or area designation, a written authorization, or a categorical 
exemption and would establish applicable geographic, seasonal, vehicle-
class, and resource-protection conditions.
    The proposed action would separately revise specified portions of 
subpart A. Specifically, section 212.5(b)(1) would be revised to 
replace the current minimum-road-system requirement with criteria for 
determining an adequate and appropriate forest transportation system, 
including access needs, resource protection, safety, maintenance 
capacity, and applicable land management plan components. Section 212.1 
would be revised to define the vehicle and use categories

[[Page 54690]]

subject to different designation or exemption requirements specified in 
subparts B and C and part 261, rather than relying exclusively on a 
motorized or nonmotorized classification. For each provision, the 
proposed rule would identify whether it would be eliminated, retained 
in the CFR, moved to another CFR provision, or moved to Agency 
directives, and would explain any resulting change in legal effect, 
enforceability, or third-party rights and obligations.
    The proposed action would add specified categories of exempt 
vehicles or uses to the designation and prohibition framework in 36 CFR 
parts 212 and 261 and would revise that framework to accommodate new 
vehicle types and uses without relying on a binary motorized or 
nonmotorized classification.
    For purposes of the proposal, ``class 1 electric bicycle'' would 
have the meaning in 23 U.S.C. 217(j)(2)(A) and (B)(i). The proposed 
action would exempt class 1 electric bicycles from the motor vehicle 
use designation requirement in 36 CFR 212.51(a) and the prohibition in 
36 CFR 261.13 when operated on an NFS trail where bicycle use is 
allowed, subject to applicable land management plan direction, seasonal 
restrictions, orders, and site-specific restrictions adopted by the 
responsible official under the criteria and procedures in the proposed 
rule. The EIS would analyze an alternative retaining class 1 e-bikes as 
motor vehicles subject to motor vehicle use designations and 
alternatives adopting broader or narrower exemption conditions.
    Any additional categorical authorization for low-powered electric 
mobility devices used by persons with mobility disabilities would be 
defined by objective criteria in the proposed rule, including the 
covered devices and the scope and conditions of the authorization, and 
coordinated with applicable disability-access requirements. Any 
additional authorization would supplement, and would not limit, 
existing rights or Agency obligations under applicable disability-
access laws. These changes would be evaluated in light of approaches 
used by other Federal and State land management agencies.
    With regard to subparts B and C, the proposed action would 
establish an access-planning process and would not itself authorize 
construction or other ground-disturbing activities or projects. The 
access presumption set forth in the national policy would guide future 
decisions and would not itself open a currently closed route, airfield, 
trailhead, or other access point except to the extent that the amended 
regulations expressly make a specified vehicle- or use-specific 
exemption self-executing. Existing motor vehicle use designations, 
including the designations shown on MVUMs and OSVUMs, would remain in 
effect until revised under the amended regulations. Prohibitions 
established under other authorities would remain in effect until 
modified, rescinded, or expired under those authorities.
    Future site-specific designation decisions would be made by local 
officials after analysis and evaluation of land and resource 
conditions, consistent with applicable law. If the rule removes 
sections 212.52 and 212.53, it would identify the public involvement, 
governmental-coordination, and Tribal-consultation requirements that 
will govern future designation and revision decisions.

Preliminary Description of Known Alternatives

    In addition to the proposed action, the environmental impact 
statement (EIS) will analyze a no-action alternative that would retain 
the TMR in its current form. Known alternatives may include: applying 
the open-unless-closed presumption prospectively or making specified 
changes effective upon promulgation; limiting ``existing'' routes and 
airfields to features in the forest transportation atlas or using a 
broader evidentiary definition; retaining selected designation, public-
involvement, coordination, or monitoring requirements; streamlining 
clerical map corrections and minor designation revisions; addressing 
subpart A separately; retaining class 1 e-bikes as motor vehicles 
subject to motor vehicle use designations; varying the scope or 
conditions of vehicle and use exemptions; and adopting different 
processes or conditions for off-route uses, over-snow travel, and 
airfields.

Preliminary List of Substantive Issues and Summary of Expected Impacts

    The EIS will evaluate the anticipated impacts and benefits, 
including reasonably foreseeable impacts, related to:
    <bullet> Public access to NFS lands, including for recreation, to 
facilitate subsistence or other uses, and to exercise legal rights. 
Impacts may include changes in access opportunities, use patterns, and 
conflicts among uses, depending on the transition provisions, 
exemptions, and later local decisions.
    <bullet> Forest health and management, including timber management, 
fuels management, and fire suppression. Impacts may include changes in 
the timing, cost, and availability of access for management and 
emergency response.
    <bullet> Soil, water and air; plant and animal communities, 
including threatened, endangered, sensitive species; scenic integrity; 
recreation settings and opportunities; and cultural resources, 
traditional cultural properties, and sacred sites. Any self-executing 
vehicle or use exemption could directly affect these resources; other 
effects would depend on the location, timing, intensity, and conditions 
of later local decisions.
    <bullet> Local and regional economies. Impacts may include shifts 
in recreation-related spending and changes in Agency, applicant, 
partner, and user costs associated with access decisions, mapping, 
maintenance, and enforcement.
    Administration and management of roads, trails, airfields, 
trailheads, and areas, including mapping, maintenance, enforcement, 
annual-review workload, and reliance on existing designations and 
closures. Impacts may include but are not limited to changes in Agency 
costs, public notice, user compliance, use conflicts, and maintenance 
needs. The proposed action would not itself authorize road construction 
or other ground-disturbing development. Any self-executing vehicle or 
use exemption would remain subject to otherwise applicable statutory, 
regulatory, valid existing-rights, and other governing restrictions. 
The EIS would evaluate the direct programmatic effects of such 
exemptions at the appropriate scale; effects of later site-specific 
actions would be evaluated when those actions are proposed.
    The level of environmental review of the identified resources for 
the EIS will be commensurate with the anticipated effects to each 
resource at the programmatic scale. Because the proposed action does 
not itself require changes to current motor vehicle use designations or 
prohibitions, apart from any direct effects of the proposed vehicle or 
use exemptions, estimating site-specific effects of local changes would 
be highly speculative. The EIS nevertheless will evaluate the 
reasonably foreseeable programmatic effects of changing the governing 
designation criteria, procedures, and exemptions, using available data 
and reasonable assumptions or scenarios. Effects of any future motor 
vehicle use designation or prohibition actions will be analyzed at the 
appropriate scale, where information concerning potential resource 
impacts can be meaningfully evaluated and weighed.

[[Page 54691]]

Anticipated Permits or Other Authorizations

    No anticipated permits or other authorizations are required for 
this action.

Schedule for the Decision-Making Process

    USDA anticipates publishing the proposed rule and draft EIS in 
spring of 2027 and the completed EIS, record of decision, and final 
rule in early calendar year 2028. This schedule is subject to change 
consistent with applicable law.

Cooperating and Participating Agencies

    The USDA Forest Service is the lead agency. No cooperating or 
participating agencies have been designated at this time. The Forest 
Service does not anticipate designating any Federal, State, Tribal, or 
local agencies as cooperating or participating agencies. These 
organizations are encouraged to provide input through the public 
comment opportunities for this notice of intent, as well as for the 
proposed rule and draft EIS.

Request for Public Comments

    This notice announces the Agency's preparation of the EIS and 
requests public input to inform its scope and further development of 
the policies underlying this action.
    USDA will solicit public feedback through the 30-day written-
comment period described above. No separate public scoping process or 
scoping meetings are planned.
    The Department is requesting comments on potential alternatives and 
impacts, and identification of any relevant information, studies, or 
analyses of any kind concerning impacts affecting the quality of the 
human environment.
    It is important that reviewers provide their comments at such times 
and in such a manner that they are useful to the Agency's preparation 
of the EIS; therefore, comments should be provided prior to the close 
of the comment period and should clearly articulate the reviewer's 
concerns and contentions and recommendations to alleviate these. 
Lengthy or complex comments are most effective when accompanied by a 
brief, plainly worded summary of the main points. Comments, including 
attachments and any personal information provided in your comments, 
will be posted to the docket unchanged. Do not submit any information 
you consider to be private, confidential business information, or other 
information, the disclosure of which is restricted by statute.
    This action is not subject to the pre-decisional administrative 
review (objection) process of 36 CFR parts 218 or 219 subpart B.
    The Forest Service will offer government-to-government consultation 
to federally recognized Tribes and will engage Alaska Native 
Corporations consistent with applicable consultation requirements 
during rulemaking and EIS development.

Responsible Official

    The responsible official is the Secretary of Agriculture or her 
designee.

Stephen Alexander Vaden,
Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
[FR Doc. 2026-17211 Filed 8-21-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411-15-P


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