Comment on FR Doc # 2026-13281

I vehemently oppose the proposal to reduce the public’s right to comment on Forest Service directives. I mountain bike, hike, fish, and camp on national forest land — primarily within the George Washington, Jefferson, and Monongahela National Forests— and the decisions buried in these rulebooks shape every acre. 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: We the people, NOT we the bureaucrats of government. 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. Thank you for reading my opinion.