ORBA Action Alert: Forest Service Proposes Major Revision of Travel Management Rule
ORBA Action Alert
Forest Service Proposes Major Revision of Travel Management Rule
Public Comments Due September 23, 2026
The U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Forest Service are accepting public comments on a proposed revision of the Travel Management Rule, the regulations that guide motor vehicle use and travel management on National Forest System lands. Comments must be received by September 23, 2026.
The Forest Service is considering a new national access policy under which existing roads, trails, airfields, trailheads, and other access routes and points would be presumed open to appropriate public use unless closure is required by law or supported by specific, documented, and justifiable reasons. The proposal also addresses review of closed or highly restricted routes, public involvement, local decision-making, mapping and technology, and the standards used in future travel-management decisions.
Why This Matters
For ORBA, this rulemaking goes directly to how motorized access is managed on National Forest lands. Travel-management decisions affect route connectivity, recreation opportunities, access for maintenance and emergency response, and the businesses and rural communities that depend on recreation.
The proposal is also consistent with issues SEMA and ORBA have been working on throughout 2026. SEMA and ORBA have supported a return to an "open unless posted closed" approach where closures are tied to documented resource-protection or public-safety needs, while continuing to support responsible recreation, stewardship, and existing environmental protections.
The Forest Service is also proposing to replace the Travel Management Rule's current national minimization criteria with an access-oriented framework for future decisions. Other applicable federal laws and environmental requirements would continue to apply. ORBA believes the agency should use this opportunity to create a clearer, more transparent process that considers conditions on the ground and avoids unnecessary or unsupported restrictions on access.
It is equally important to understand what the proposal does not do. The rulemaking would not automatically reopen a closed road or trail. Existing motor vehicle use designations and Motor Vehicle Use Maps would remain in effect until they are revised through the applicable process. The proposed national access policy would guide future decisions rather than change the legal status of individual routes on its own.
How to Make Your Comment Count
The Forest Service is seeking information on the proposed approach, alternatives, potential effects, and relevant information or analysis as it prepares an Environmental Impact Statement and develops the revised rule.
For off-road businesses, recreation organizations, clubs, and public-land users, useful comments may include firsthand information about existing motorized access, route connectivity, routes that have been closed or heavily restricted, mapping problems, maintenance and emergency access, recreation demand, accessibility, stewardship needs, and effects on rural communities, tourism, or recreation-based businesses.
Use your own words and be specific. Identify the National Forest, route, trail system, community, or travel-management issue when possible. Explain what is working, what is not, and how future travel-management decisions could better balance responsible access, resource protection, and conditions on the ground.
How to Submit Your Comment
Comments must be received by September 23, 2026.
Online
Submit comments through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at Regulations.gov. Search for Docket No. FS-2026-0100 and follow the instructions for submitting comments.
Regulations.gov - Docket FS-2026-0100
Mail
Director, Public Benefits
201 14th Street SW
Public Benefits Office
Washington, DC 20250
Resources
Federal Register - Travel Management; National Forest System Lands (91 FR 54686)
Regulations.gov - Docket FS-2026-0100
SEMA/ORBA - A Welcome Policy Shift: Bill Protecting Motorized Off-Road Access
SEMA/ORBA - ORBA Relaunches With Expanded Advocacy, Stronger Coalitions and New Tools
*Comments submitted to the Forest Service become part of the public record. Do not include confidential, sensitive personal, or proprietary information.