Overview

The estimated 380,000 miles of classified Forest Service roads on National Forest System lands are extensive and diverse. Most of the existing road system was built over the last 50 years for timber harvest and log removal. In the decades after World War II, logging traffic tripled, peaking in 1990. But when timber harvests on the national forests declined in the 1990's, logging traffic fell to 1950 levels. By contrast, recreation forest road use has grown to 10 times its 1950 rate. Driving for pleasure is the single largest recreational use of Forest Service managed lands with more than 1.7 million vehicles using those roads each day to visit national forests.

However, current funding is inadequate to manage the forest road system. Less than 20 percent of forest roads are fully maintained to planned safety and environmental standards. The backlog of reconstruction on forest roads is estimated to be more than $8.4 billion due to inadequate regular maintenance. Projections indicate that at existing funding levels, the entire road network will be in overall poor condition by 2020.

On January 28, 1998, in an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (63 FR 4350), the Forest Service announced its intent to revise regulations concerning management of the national forest transportation system. Simultaneously, the Forest Service published a proposed interim rule (63 FR 4351) to temporarily suspend permanent and temporary road construction and reconstruction in certain unroaded areas of National Forest System lands. The purpose of the interim rule was to take a "timeout" for 18-months while the Forest Service developed a revised road management policy and analytical tools to provide a more ecological approach to existing and future road needs.

A final interim rule, issued on February 12, 1999 (64 FR 7289), temporarily suspended permanent and temporary road construction and reconstruction in certain unroaded areas of National Forest System lands. The temporary suspension is in effect until development of a revised Forest Service road system policy, or 18 months from the effective date of the interim final rule, whichever is sooner.

In spring 1999, the Forest Service conducted focus group meetings for input from various segments of the public and Forest Service employees to gather detailed ideas about the development of the agency's revised road policy. Led by a facilitator from outside the agency, the focus groups contributed the views of specific interested groups, including employees, regarding roads and transportation on public lands. These ideas were considered along with the wide range of public comments received in response to the Advanced Notice and the proposed interim rule (more than 164,000) in developing the road management rule and policy.

In January 2001, the Forest Service adopted a new road management policy, which directs the agency to maintain a safe, environmentally sound road network that is responsive to public needs and affordable to manage. Currently, the Forest Service is looking at ways to make the road management policy work better and is conducting an internal review of the policy.

The Forest Service is committed to maintaining a safe, environmentally sound road network in national forests and grasslands that is responsive to public needs and affordable to manage.