Comment on FR Doc # 2026-13281

I’m writing to oppose this proposal to narrow the public’s right to comment on Forest Service directives. I hike, and have a home adjacent to national forest land, and the decisions buried in these rulebooks shape every acre of it. I bird. That activity takes me all over the Pacific NW. And into national forest land. I belong to the Oregon Birding Association, amongst other groups. We care about these issues. I belong to 3 hiking groups. All of us are passionate about these issues on our public land. The first is an athletic club that ranks amongst the largest in the nation. I'm on the walking and hiking committee. I suggest, and lead hikes. Also a member of an all women's hiking group. And third, a seniors only hiking group. And here's the thing: In 2018, the Forest Service concluded that its Handbooks contain standards and guidelines that directly affect the public, and it expanded public comment to cover them. That conclusion was correct. The Handbooks govern grazing permits, timber sale analysis, land management planning, and special-use decisions that shape these lands for everyone who depends on them. Changes to those guides deserve more public notice and comment, not less. Public participation is how management of 193 million acres of public land stays accountable to the people who own it. That accountability is worth protecting. I urge the Forest Service to withdraw this proposal and preserve the public’s right to comment on directive changes, whether they appear in the Manual or the Handbooks.