Forest Service Moves to Rescind Roadless Rule, Opening Door for More Flexible Public Lands Management
Forest Service Moves to Rescind Roadless Rule, Opening Door for More Flexible Public Lands Management
August 18, 2026 | Off-Road Business Association (ORBA)
The U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Forest Service are moving forward with a proposal to rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, a major step toward giving local land managers greater flexibility to manage National Forest System lands.
The Roadless Rule restricts most new road construction, road reconstruction and timber harvesting across approximately 45 million acres of National Forest System lands governed by the national rule.
For the off-road community, the proposal creates an opportunity to modernize how these lands are managed while improving recreation access, forest health, wildfire resilience and local decision-making.
It is also important to be clear about what today's announcement does and does not mean. Rescinding the Roadless Rule does not automatically open 45 million acres to motorized recreation.
Existing forest plans, travel management decisions and federal environmental laws will continue to govern where motorized recreation is allowed. What rescission could do is remove a one-size-fits-all federal restriction that can prevent local land managers from considering road construction or reconstruction even when it could support recreation access, wildfire response, forest health or other legitimate management needs.
ORBA and SEMA Have Called for Roadless Rule Reform
ORBA and SEMA have been engaged in this issue well before today's announcement.
In September 2025, ORBA and SEMA submitted joint comments supporting withdrawal of the 2001 Roadless Rule while calling for a modernized national framework in its place.
The coalition argued that the existing rule can unnecessarily restrict active management of lands that Congress has never designated as Wilderness.
ORBA reinforced that position in June 2026 as both Congress and the Administration considered Roadless Rule reform.
“Public lands are best managed under multiple-use principles that recognize recreation, conservation, active forest management, watershed protection, and wildfire resilience as complementary objectives.”
That remains ORBA's position today.
The goal should not simply be removing an old regulation. It should be replacing outdated restrictions with a system that gives land managers the tools they need to keep public lands healthy, accessible and responsibly managed.
Roadless Does Not Mean Wilderness
Inventoried Roadless Areas are not congressionally designated Wilderness. That distinction matters.
The Roadless Rule was adopted administratively in 2001 and placed nationwide restrictions on road construction, road reconstruction and certain timber activities. It did not prohibit all motorized recreation, and existing authorized roads and trails can remain open where motorized use is permitted under Forest Service travel management decisions.
Rescission also would not eliminate environmental review or allow unrestricted road construction. Future decisions would continue to be governed by forest plans, travel management, environmental review and other federal laws.
What changes is the ability of local managers to consider more options when conditions on the ground warrant them.
Why This Matters for Motorized Recreation
Access problems rarely look the same from one National Forest to another.
A damaged road may need reconstruction. A trail system may need better connectivity. Wildfire may destroy an existing access route. Emergency responders may need reliable access. Recreation infrastructure may need improvement or relocation.
Those decisions are better made by looking at the landscape, the resource needs and the people who actually use it.
A modernized Roadless policy could give land managers greater flexibility to address those needs while continuing to protect the natural resources that make outdoor recreation possible.
ORBA supports responsible public access. That means protecting existing opportunities, restoring access where appropriate and creating new opportunities when they can be responsibly managed.
It also means recognizing that motorized recreation and conservation are not opposing goals.
Off-road enthusiasts, clubs and businesses invest countless hours and resources into trail maintenance, cleanups, restoration projects, education and responsible-use programs across the country.
Healthy public lands and meaningful public access belong in the same conversation.
Roadless Reform Is Only Part of the Access Picture
The Roadless Rule proposal comes as the Forest Service is also reviewing its Travel Management Rule, which governs how roads, trails and areas are designated for motorized use.
That process matters just as much to the off-road community.
Removing barriers to road construction or reconstruction will accomplish little if travel management policies continue to unnecessarily eliminate connectivity or prevent responsible motorized access.
ORBA will continue advocating for policies that give local managers greater flexibility while ensuring recreation users have a meaningful voice in decisions affecting access.
What Happens Next and How to Get Involved
The proposed rule and Draft Environmental Impact Statement will be published in the Federal Register on August 20, 2026, beginning the formal public comment period. Comments must be submitted by September 21, 2026.
ORBA and SEMA will review the Draft Environmental Impact Statement and submit comments as the rulemaking moves forward.
ORBA encourages off-road businesses, recreation organizations and public-land users to participate in the process. This is an important opportunity to tell the Forest Service that any final approach should protect existing motorized access, restore access where appropriate, allow responsible new recreation opportunities and give local land managers the flexibility to address conditions on the ground.
Our priorities remain straightforward:
Protect existing access.
Restore access where it has been unnecessarily lost.
Create responsible new opportunities.
Give local land managers the flexibility to manage changing conditions.
Keep the public involved in decisions about public lands.
The Roadless Rule was written 25 years ago. Public-land management has changed significantly since then, including growing wildfire threats, changing recreation demands and new tools for active forest management.
This is an opportunity to build a better framework.
ORBA will continue working with the Forest Service, Congress, recreation organizations and industry partners to ensure motorized recreation has a strong voice as that framework takes shape.
Public Lands. Public Access. Public Action.
References
Off-Road Business Association - ORBA Statement on Recent Roadless Rule Developments, June 11, 2026
ORBA's previous statement outlining ORBA and SEMA's position on Roadless Rule reform and the organizations' participation in the 2025 national coalition comments.
https://www.offroadbusiness.org/orba-news/orba-statement-on-recent-roadless-rule-developments
ORBA & SEMA Comment on Withdrawal of the 2001 Roadless Rule, September 19, 2025
The coalition supported withdrawal of the existing rule while advocating for a modernized national framework providing greater management flexibility for recreation access, forest health, wildfire mitigation, trail development and other multiple-use needs.
U.S. Department of Agriculture - Roadless Rule Rescission
USDA and the Forest Service are conducting the administrative process to reconsider and rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule.
Congressional Research Service - Forest Service Inventoried Roadless Areas
Background on the history, legal framework and management of Inventoried Roadless Areas and the 2001 Roadless Rule.
https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R46504
U.S. Forest Service - Roadless Area Conservation
Forest Service information and rulemaking materials concerning Inventoried Roadless Areas and the Roadless Rule.