Closed Forest Service Roads in Montana Could Get Another Look

I have spent almost forty years hunting the same locations around Montana. Over these years, I have seen many of the roads I used as a child being slowly blocked off by fences and gates, as well as the typical red or orange floppy "road closed" sign.

Read More: How The Roadless Rule Affects 59 Percent Of Montana Forests

Recently, the United States Forest Service announced its intentions to move forward on revisions to its Travel Management Rule. And one of the primary objectives of these proposed changes is to provide greater public access to the national forests in the United States.

What is the Travel Management Rule?

The current Travel Management Rule was created in 2005. This rule sets forth how the Forest Service will determine which roads, trails, and lands managed by USDA are open to motor vehicle travel. It also includes how certain motor vehicles (four wheelers, motorcycles, etc.) are allowed to utilize these routes and when they are allowed to do so.

a jeep driving down a dirt road with mountains in the background

As part of these proposed revisions to the Travel Management Rule, the Forest Service is attempting to create a system allowing for decisions to be made at a local level. Additionally, the Forest Service hopes the revised rules will allow for increased use of motorized vehicles, electronic bicycles, and even wheelchairs. The Forest Service is responsible for managing over 380,000 miles of roads and 165,000 miles of trails across the United States.

Don't get too excited just yet... This doesn't mean all locked gates in Montana will be coming down tomorrow!

man in black shirt sitting on black jeep wrangler on rocky mountain during daytime

The existing road designation systems and maps that currently exist on each national forest will continue to apply until the national forest unit makes changes at a local level.

I'm Pro-Access, Within Reason

Over the past couple of decades, I have personally witnessed an alarming amount of access being lost to many of the areas my family had hunted for generations. One example that comes immediately to mind is a joke my father would tell me about seasonal closures. He said that while in the spring the "flower sniffers" were able to drive up into the mountains on his favorite deer hunting area, yet come fall hunters weren't permitted to use the exact same road.

Does this mean I want all closed roads to reopen? No.

a lone tree in the middle of a field

There are valid reasons for closing roads. These include: wildlife habitats, erosion concerns, safety issues, and preserving areas that need to remain wild. All of these are valid considerations when determining whether or not to close a particular road or trail. However, I also believe that public lands should be reasonably accessible to the public. If a road needs to remain closed, then fine. Let the public know why it was closed. On the other hand, if a road has been closed for decades due to a reason that no longer exists, maybe it is time to take another look at reopening the road.

focus photography of ATV's falling in line on grass field

The Forest Service is currently accepting public comments as part of the process of developing a new rule through revision of the existing Travel Management Rule.

For all those hunters and recreationists in Montana who use our national forests, this is something we need to keep an eye on. Hopefully some of those old floppy "closed road" signs will eventually go away.