08/23/2026
Here’s a great op-Ed article posted on Idaho Recreation Council page.
We have spent more than a year working with senior U.S. Forest Service leadership advocating for changes to the Travel Management Rule and not to rescind it.
I’m encouraged to see the Forest Service now moving forward with a proposal to revise the rule rather than simply treating the status quo as untouchable.
My position has never been that public lands should become a free-for-all. Quite the opposite.
I believe we need a clear, workable framework that allows the Forest Service professionals entrusted with managing these lands to make good, locally informed decisions about where and how people can responsibly recreate.
We’ve seen firsthand why this matters. The recent blanket OHV closure issues we uncovered on the Nez Perce-Clearwater, along with similar concerns involving the Beaverhead-Deerlodge and Dakota Prairie Grasslands, reinforced something we've been saying for a long time: we need a travel management system that recognizes responsible access while still protecting the resources we all value.
And this isn’t just about motorized recreation.
We hike. We enjoy public lands for many different reasons, and we know that non-motorized users deserve quality places and experiences too. Motorized and non-motorized recreation can coexist when decisions are made thoughtfully, locally and through a transparent process.
The bipartisan EXPLORE Act recognized the importance of expanding and enhancing outdoor recreation opportunities for both motorized and non-motorized users. Implementing that vision requires us to have a Travel Management Rule that actually works for today’s recreationists.
That means more thoughtful access—not unlimited access.
It means responsible use—not a free-for-all.
And it means trusting the environmental review process, the professionals doing the work, and the public process Congress has established.
Trail construction, improvements and access decisions still have to go through the appropriate environmental process. That process exists for a reason, and we believe we should trust it.
As the Idaho Recreation Council, our goal is simple: keep Idaho and America’s public lands accessible, responsibly managed, and available for the people who own them.
This is an opportunity to build a better system—one that respects hikers, hunters, horseback riders, mountain bikers, OHV riders, snowmobilers and every other responsible public-land user.
We are looking forward to seeing the proposal and participating in the public process.
Public lands are for the public. Let’s make sure we manage them in a way that allows all of us to responsibly enjoy them.
The Forest Service is publishing a notice of intent to revise the current Travel Management Rule and initiate a 30-day comment period.
This proposed revision will modernize motor vehicle use decision making on Forest Service lands in alignment with Administration priorities that will ultimately expand outdoor recreation access, strengthen rural economies, maintain safe and sustainable transportation systems, and support working lands.
All are encouraged to provide comment over the next 30 days through the Federal eRulemaking portal https://www.regulations.gov/.
(Forest Service photo.)
