June 26, 2018 - Today, the Subcommittee on the Interior, Energy, and Environment will hold a hearing on: Access To Public Lands: The Effects Of Forest Service Road Closures

PURPOSE:

• To examine how Forest Service policies affect access to public lands, as well as the impacts of road closures on nearby communities.

BACKGROUND:

• The Forest Service manages nearly 200 million acres of land across the United states, most of which is located in the West.
  
  
• Congress directed the Forest Service to manage the land it administers for multiple use, including “recreation, livestock grazing, and wildlife and fish habitat.” Unfortunately, the Forest Service has closed roads and restricted access to public lands that should be open to the public.
  
  
• The trend towards road closures and restricting access to Forest Service lands impacts local governments, small-town economies, and the way of life for many Americans who live near Forest Service land.

WITNESSES AND TESTIMONIES