by Wild Montana
This blog was originally published August 21, 2026 by Wild Montana. View the blog post on Wild Montana here.
Washington, D.C. – Today, the Forest Service announced that it is beginning a process to significantly revise the Travel Management Rule, which guides where motorized vehicles are and are not allowed on national forests across Montana and the country. The agency has shared that the revised rule will flip its longstanding travel management paradigm for designating motorized access on its head, forcing local forests to allow motor vehicles everywhere unless specifically closed.
This announcement comes days after the Forest Service’s announcement that it plans to repeal the 2021 Roadless Rule. The two rules have formed the basis of national forest management for over two decades. Repealing and/or revising them together will upend national forest management and create chaos, uncertainty, and danger for all forest users.
Wild Montana issued the following statement from Federal Policy Director Hilary Eisen:
“The Travel Management Rule is why dirtbikers and snowmobilers can share national forest lands with hikers and backcountry skiers without conflict. It’s why our national forests provide habitat to support thriving wildlife populations. It is built on local decision-making, with a designation process that ensures that no user group gets steamrolled and all our national forest values are protected.”
“Just two days after doubling down on repealing the Roadless Rule, this announcement makes the administration’s plan obvious: gut the rules that require the Forest Service to carefully manage our natural resources and listen to the public, then open the gates to industry and extraction. Forest Service leadership has already shown during the Roadless rescission how much it values public input, science, and expert management: not at all. Agency leadership has lost the public’s trust, and should expect the public to hold them accountable.”
About the Travel Management Rule
First established in 2005, the Travel Management Rule is a tool that aims to balance use on USFS lands and across different user groups. When effectively implemented, it creates high-quality recreation experiences for all user groups while also minimizing impacts to natural resources and wildlife. It provides a consistent framework for forests to follow when writing travel management plans for wheeled or over-snow vehicles, while ensuring decisions are made locally.
During forest-specific Travel Management planning, the Forest Service designates specific trails and areas for motorized use. This is essentially a zoning process where some areas are designated for motorized use, and other trails and areas are set aside for human-powered recreation, or to protect wildlife and their habitat. Public participation is an important part of travel planning, and local voices, knowledge, and expertise are highly valued.
On June 2, 2026, President Trump announced the repeal of two executive orders (11644 and 11989) that governed off-road vehicle and over-snow vehicle use on public lands. He further directed federal land management agencies to rescind or revise their regulations implementing these orders, risking chaos and confusion on public lands across the country. Today’s announcement is the Forest Service acting on that order.
About Wild Montana
Wild Montana is Montana’s largest and most powerful organization working to keep public lands and waters wild, healthy, and accessible. Since 1958, we’ve united Montanans to protect the wild places that define our state and our way of life.
Contact: Alex Blackmer, senior communications manager, Wild Montana. 406-201-9441, ablackmer@wildmontana.org
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