Recently issued directives:           

Final directive implementing Dingell Act direction on closures of National Forest System lands to hunting, fishing and recreational shooting

On April 8, 2021, the USDA Forest Service has finalized a directive managing closures of National Forest System Lands to Hunting, Fishing, and Recreational Shooting. The directive, at Forest Service Handbook 5309.11, Chapter 50, incorporates procedures, including requirements for public comment, for non-emergency permanent and temporary closures of areas located on national forests or grasslands to hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting as part of a larger suite of updates to agency directives that implement the John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act (Dingell Jr. Act).

The revision included adding a definition for emergency closures, which is needed to ensure that the Forest Service has clear and transparent guidelines for closing an area to these recreational activities so that preventative measures can be taken to minimize impacts prior to an emergency situation. Public comment was specifically sought on the definition of emergency closures, and the 30-day comment period for this directive closed on September 16, 2020. There were 30 public commenters, and the Forest Service considered all comments that were related to the proposed directive.
 
Why Was the Directive Updated? The Forest Service updated the directive as outlined in the Dingell Jr. Act to facilitate access to hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting on national forests and grasslands. These updates include providing a greater role for public participation; codifying the national practice on Federal lands of “open unless closed” to hunting, fishing, or recreational shooting into policy; and establishing a process to temporarily or permanently close areas.

View the final directive

Follow the link to view the final directive and a document summarizing public comments and the agency’s response.

Regulatory actions:

Community forest and open space program

A final rule implementing changes to the Community Forest and Open Space Program was published on April 2, 2021. This Forest Service grant program provides 50/50 financial assistance grants to local governments, Indian tribes, and nonprofit organizations to establish community forests by acquiring and protecting private forestlands. Since the program’s establishment, the Agency has identified improvements in program management and implementation to improve outcomes. The final rule revisions will allow the Community Forest Program to be more efficient, less burdensome, and current on OMB policies and can be found here:  Federal Register: Community Forest Program

Directives published for public comment:

No new proposed directives were published for public comment from the period of 1/15/2021 to present.

Upcoming events:

Webinar Regarding Directives that Need Notice and Comment
Please join the Directives and Regulations branch for a series of  1-hour Teams webinars to learn about changes to the directive development process, procedures to make proposed directives available for public comment, and be introduced to new tools and resources designed to support the policy development process. The specific times and links for the webinar is listed below (please click on the session link to join):

WHY:    To learn about the “216 directive,” new procedures providing notice and comment on Forest Service Directives.  Why are we changing notice and comment requirements and what are they now?

WHEN:    Wednesday April 14, 4:00-5:00 pm EST

WHERE:     Teams Live: Please join if you are available

Questions can be emailed to Miranda Galadima (Miranda.galadima@usda.gov) or Annie Goode (ann.goode@usda.gov).