TWS, as a participating organization in America’s Wildlife Conservation Partners (AWCP), signed this letter in response to the U.S. Forest Service’s August 2026 notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) regarding proposed revisions to the agency’s travel management regulations. The proposed action 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.” As the Forest Service prepares its EIS and related rulemaking, the AWCP letter calls for the agency to:
- Ensure early and ongoing coordination with state fish and wildlife agencies.
- Maintain meaningful direction to reduce conflicts among users and avoid conflicts with wildlife.
- Ensure planning and implementation requirements are focused, enforceable, and proportionate to available agency and partner resources.
