Pushing back: Feds want to end public input on public lands

Looking east towards Big Sheep Creek and the Seven Devils. Photo credit: Jamie Dawson

2026 will be a defining year for the future of public lands in our region and beyond. Public input on public lands management is a foundational part of how our federally-managed lands are supposed to work; without it, history has shown a preference for privatization, degradation, and exploitation. The laws governing how federal agencies make decisions are being systematically eroded, threatening bedrock environmental laws and the health of our environment for decades to come. It has never been more important to engage with the parts of our political process that are still available to us. The National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, governs the management of our public lands. Understanding NEPA is key to understanding the power of public input.

What is NEPA?

The National Environmental Protection Act is the federal law that has required environmental review of proposed federal actions since 1970, when it was signed into law. This means that before a federal agency (like the U.S. Forest Service) can take a major action, like permitting a logging project, building a road, or adopting a new land management plan, it must assess the environmental impact of that action first. NEPA requires that agencies provide opportunities for public review and comment on those assessments. This is the mechanism by which members of the public can participate in decisions about our shared public lands

There are three main categories of environmental review under NEPA, and it's worth taking a minute to understand each of them because the differences between them are really significant right now:

EIS (Environmental Impact Statement)

An EIS documents the most robust level of review, and until recently, it was routinely practice. It's thorough and intended for proposed actions with the potential for significant environmental consequences.

EA (Environmental Assessment)

An EA is a middle step – it is used to determine whether or not the proposed project will have significant impacts. If the answer is yes, the agency is then supposed to complete an EIS. Unfortunately, in practice, following an EA with an EIS rarely happens. Given the lower level of review, we have been seeing more use of EAs lately.

CE (Categorical Exclusion)

A CE is supposed to be reserved for routine, minor actions – things that can be easily sorted into a category of action that has reliably been shown not to cause significant environmental harm. Because it is the shortest form of "review," the U.S. Forest Service has, over the past decade, attempted to expand the use of CEs to larger logging projects, even when it is not legally permitted.

The “New” NEPA. It’s an Emergency! Right? 

NEPA is one of those easy-to-overlook but critically important rules that various administrations attempt to sidestep by executive action. During the last Trump-Biden-Trump years, it has gone through several iterations of being challenged and stripped down. 

As part of recent changes to NEPA, the Forest Service is no longer required to provide public notice or request public input for projects that fall under a CE. They can choose to notify the public and accept comments, but they are no longer obligated to do so. This means that groups like GHCC or the general public may not even become aware of a logging project until we see marked trees or a log truck.

And it gets more complicated. There is also a suite of new avenues for advancing projects that are considered “emergencies” – a designation that essentially allows agencies to begin taking action before even completing their internal NEPA review. Based on the maps we've seen, essentially all of NE Oregon's public lands have been given emergency-status under current federal interpretations. According to the Trump administration, it's an emergency that we're not wholesale liquidating forests on public lands. While there may be valid uses of this type of authority, slapping an emergency status onto every project and avoiding public input is not appropriate. This is a problem.

We are doing everything we can to make sure the public still has a voice in public lands management, but we won't be able to do it alone, which brings us to what's actually on the horizon and how you can get involved.

Big Issues and Major Projects in the Region in 2026

Here is a short list of federal projects and actions on our radar that will include opportunities for public engagement:

• Attempts to rescind the Roadless Area Conservation Act. The next public comment period on the proposed removal of the Roadless Area Conservation Act is a top priority for us and an important opportunity for public comment. A Draft Environmental Impact Statement will be released this spring, and the stakes in our region and across the country are enormous. We'll be doing everything we can to mobilize comments when that window opens, so stay tuned! For a refresher on what's at stake if the Roadless Rule is repealed - check out our blog post on the subject.
  

• National Forest Logging Projects. There are a variety of logging projects in our region using the emergency authority, including projects that the U.S. Forest Service has been working on for years, that are suddenly being rebranded as emergencies. Please sign up for our action alerts list to be notified of public comment opportunities for proposed logging projects!
  

• Blue Mountain Forest Planning. Last but not least, the most important public comment period is coming up this spring for the new Blue Mountains Forest Plan. This new management plan will set the direction for oversight across millions of acres of public lands in our region for decades to come, and public comment during this phase really does matter. We'll have a lot of content to share and will be helping folks craft meaningful comments.

There are additional projects we're tracking – some with very short comment windows that may drop with little warning. The nature of the current political environment means we may need to act quickly and without much lead time. This is a new reality we are all learning to navigate together.

What Can You Do?

Even before specific action alerts land in your inbox, there are things you can do to be ready:

Make sure you're on our Action Alert email list. This is the fastest way we can reach you when a short comment window opens. If you're reading this on our blog and you aren't subscribed (or aren't sure), please sign up here:

Sign Up for Action Alerts from GHCC

Start thinking about your personal connection to these places. When comment periods open, even just a short comment that says why you care – that you hike, hunt, or camp here – is far more powerful than a form letter.

Join us as we learn how to engage in the political process for change. Posts like this one are part of our effort to demystify the process and make it accessible. The more we understand how important decisions are made, the more effectively we can take action to protect our public lands together.

One last thought - trust that your participation matters! Public comments do get read. They do help shape outcomes. When public agencies cut corners or ignore significant impacts, a robust public record is one of the most powerful tools available for holding them accountable.

This is a challenging moment in US history, to say the least. GHCC has been at this for a long time, and our members are some of the most engaged, informed, and passionate people we know. We're deeply grateful for your participation and support.