The future of the 2001 Roadless Rule is increasingly becoming a focus of both Congress and the Trump Administration.

On June 10, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee passed an amended version of the “Wildfire Prevention Act” (S.140) that included a provision that would nullify the national Roadless Rule. The Committee passed the amended bill by a margin of 11-9 vote and is now eligible for consideration by the full Senate. The House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Federal Lands held a hearing in May on H.R. 7695, to the House bill to repeal the Roadless Rule.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is also in the process of evaluating potential changes to the Roadless Rule through a separate administrative process.

The Off-Road Business Association (ORBA) and SEMA have been actively engaged in this discussion and believe it is important to provide clarity on both what is changing and what is not.

In 2025, ORBA, SEMA, and a coalition of national recreation organizations joined in submitting comments regarding the future of the Roadless Rule. Our coalition supported a modernized management framework that better balances recreation access, forest health, wildfire mitigation, infrastructure needs, and conservation objectives while preserving opportunities for responsible outdoor recreation on public lands.

ORBA and SEMA's position remains unchanged. Public lands are best managed under multiple-use principles that recognize recreation, conservation, active forest management, watershed protection, and wildfire resilience as complementary (not competing) objectives.

It is also important to understand what these developments do not mean. Neither the advancement of S.140 nor consideration of H.R. 7695 would automatically open National Forest lands to new roads, motorized recreation, or development.

Existing forest plans, travel management decisions, environmental review requirements, and numerous federal resource protection laws would remain in place and continue to govern management decisions across National Forest System lands.

As the legislative and administrative processes move forward, ORBA and SEMA will continue to advocate for balanced public land policies that support responsible recreation access, local decision-making, healthy forests, and long-term stewardship of America’s public lands.

References:

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Action on S.140 (June 10, 2026)  https://www.accessfund.org/latest-news/senate-committee-advances-bill-provision-targeting-the-roadless-rule

Background on S.140 Amendment  https://www.themeateater.com/conservation/public-lands-and-waters/mike-lee-is-at-it-again-with-sneaky-roadless-rule-amendment

USDA Roadless Rule Information  https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/planning/roadless