Comment on the Forest Service Plan to Limit Public Input Before July 31

Why this Matters

The Siuslaw National Forest wraps around us here on the central coast: Cape Perpetua's tide pools, the Cummins Creek and Rock Creek wilderness, the Oregon Dunes, and the trails above Waldport and Yachats. How that land gets used, whether a stretch is opened to logging, grazing, or mining exploration, is shaped by the Forest Service's internal rulebooks, called Manuals and Handbooks.

The U.S. Forest Service has proposed a rule (docket FS-2026-0067) that would reclassify its Handbooks as "advisory" only and drop them from public notice and comment entirely. It would also let the agency skip announcing changes in the Federal Register and instead post them on "any broadly accessible public forum, such as a web page," and it would exempt the removal of existing directives from public comment altogether.

In plain terms, this narrows the public's right to weigh in on how our national forests are managed on the ground. Neighbors, tribes, scientists, and local groups would have fewer chances to see a change coming and say something before it happens. The comment window on the proposal closes July 31, 2026. You can tell the Forest Service to keep the public in these decisions.

Steps to Take

Step 1

Read the proposal so your comment is specific. The full text and the official summary are on the Federal Register page for docket FS-2026-0067.

Step 2

Open the comment form on Regulations.gov (docket FS-2026-0067) and choose "Comment."

Step 3

Write in your own words. Name the part of the Siuslaw National Forest you know, whether that is Cape Perpetua, the Oregon Dunes, or a trail you hike, and say why you want a say in how it is managed. Form letters carry less weight than a personal note, so treat the sample text as a starting point, not a script to paste as-is.

Step 4

Submit your comment by July 31, 2026. Comments must be received by that date to count. If you would rather mail it, the address is USDA Forest Service, Sidney Yates Building, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250, Attn: Director, Policy Office.

Sample Text

Option 1

I'm writing to oppose this proposed rule (docket FS-2026-0067), which would cut the public out of decisions about how the Forest Service manages the land we all rely on.

[In a sentence or two, name the national forest you personally connect with, describe what you do there, and say why you want to be included in decisions about that land.]

Forest Service Manuals and Handbooks set the rules for grazing allotments, timber sales, mining exploration, and land-use planning on the ground. They should not be moved out of public view. Reclassifying the Handbooks as advisory, allowing changes to be posted on a web page instead of the Federal Register, and exempting the removal of directives from public comment all narrow the public's ability to take part in how our national forests are managed.

Please withdraw this rule and keep full public notice and comment in place.

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Option 2

As someone who lives near and loves the Siuslaw National Forest, I oppose this proposed rule (docket FS-2026-0067). Decisions about logging, grazing, mining, and land use on our coast forests should stay open to public notice and comment. Please keep the Handbooks subject to public input, keep announcements in the Federal Register, and withdraw this proposal.