More than 5 million acres of forests may be at risk under reported USDA memo

As we head into a summer that’s expected to bring extreme weather and possibly devastating wildfires, communities across the nation have their eyes fixed on the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). From an ongoing dismantling effort to an evisceration of roadless forest protections, concern is growing that the National Forest System is in serious jeopardy.

It seems that when it rains, it pours. According to The New York Times, a forthcoming secretarial memo drafted for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins—the administration’s political appointee who oversees the U.S. Forest Service—threatens to further erode the well-being of our beloved forests.

The memo reportedly directs the agency to make changes to its management of recommended wilderness—opening the door for expanded timber harvest and motor vehicle access. These areas have been deemed by experts, the public and the Forest Service itself to be exceptionally unspoiled by human development, making them worthy of sensitive management to strive for possible protection by Congress through the Wilderness Act.  

These recommendations are not made lightly—they involve years of public engagement and scientific study. To that end, Forest Service staff generally take a conservative approach in recommending new areas for wilderness.  

More than 5 million acres of recommended wilderness under Forest Service management would be subject to the memo, including:

• 3,325 miles of trails
• Habitat of 30 endangered and threatened species
• 2.3 million acres considered critical for conserving biodiversity
• 2.6 million acres considered critical for wildlife habitat connectivity
• 1.5 million acres considered critical for providing clean drinking water

The memo reportedly instructs the USFS to manage these areas for “multiple use." In the context of the Administration’s other actions (especially the President’s recent rescission of executive orders that guide responsible off-road vehicle use) it seems that the agency intends to enable more motor vehicle access and timber harvesting in these areas—a directive inconsistent with recommended wilderness management and several public land laws.

If this comes to pass, it could be a fatal blow for some of the wildest natural areas left in our national forests. As our director of equitable access policy Paul Sanford said in response, “[It] will be practically impossible to restore these forests back to wilderness-eligibility; it will detract from non-motorized activities like camping, hiking and horseback riding; and it will be a victory for the special interests that want to continue the march of sprawling development across the last wild and intact places on the map.”

The next steps are unclear. Like the recent reorganization, the supposed secretarial memo is a top-down directive that does not legally require public consultation. Any attempt to modify or repeal the Travel Management Rule, however, will require the agency to take public comments. In the meantime, we urge you to contact your members of Congress and ask them to help quell the chaos at the Forest Service!