I 
113TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4272 
To stop implementation and enforcement of the Forest Service travel manage-
ment rule and to require the Forest Service to incorporate the needs, 
uses, and input of affected communities before taking any travel manage-
ment action affecting access to units of the National Forest System 
derived from the public domain, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 14, 2014 
Mr. WALDEN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To stop implementation and enforcement of the Forest Serv-
ice travel management rule and to require the Forest 
Service to incorporate the needs, uses, and input of af-
fected communities before taking any travel management 
action affecting access to units of the National Forest 
System derived from the public domain, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Forest Access in Rural 
Communities Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. CONDITIONS ON FOREST SERVICE ACCESS TRAVEL 
MANAGEMENT ACTIONS FOR UNITS OF THE 
NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM DERIVED FROM 
THE PUBLIC DOMAIN. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) ACCESS TRAVEL MANAGEMENT ACTION.— 
The term ‘‘access travel management action’’ means 
any Forest Service action regarding a unit of the 
National Forest System that— 
(A) will, or can reasonably be expected to, 
alter public access to National Forest System 
lands of the unit, including any change in ac-
cess using motorized vehicles or nonmotorized 
means resulting from— 
(i) the decommissioning in whole or in 
part of a road, trail, or combination road 
and trail system; 
(ii) a change in the status of a road 
as open or closed; or 
(iii) a change in forest road densities; 
and 
(B) requires the preparation of an environ-
mental impact statement or environmental as-
sessment under the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4331 et seq.). 
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(2) AFFECTED COUNTY.—The term ‘‘affected 
county’’ means— 
(A) a political subdivision of a State whose 
boundaries contain National Forest System 
lands of a unit of the National Forest System 
affected by an access travel management action; 
or 
(B) a political subdivision of a State adja-
cent to a political subdivision of a State de-
scribed in subparagraph (A). 
(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the 
Chief of the Forest Service. 
(4) TRAVEL
MANAGEMENT
RULE.—The term 
‘‘travel management rule’’ refers to subparts A, B, 
and C of part 212 of title 36, Code of Federal Regu-
lations, and subparts A and B of part 261 of such 
title. 
(5) UNIT
OF
THE
NATIONAL
FOREST
SYS-
TEM.—The terms ‘‘unit of the National Forest Sys-
tem’’ and ‘‘unit’’ are limited to a unit of the Na-
tional Forest System derived from the public do-
main. 
(b) PROHIBITION
ON IMPLEMENTATION
OR EN-
FORCEMENT OF TRAVEL MANAGEMENT RULE.—Imme-
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diately upon the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 
cease all implementation and enforcement of the travel 
management rule for units of the National Forest System 
derived from the public domain. 
(c) CONSULTATION WITH AND CONCURRENCE OF 
AFFECTED COUNTIES.— 
(1) CONSULTATION.—As a condition on the 
preparation of an environmental impact statement or 
environmental assessment under the National Envi-
ronmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4331 et 
seq.) for a proposed access travel management ac-
tion, the Secretary shall consult with each affected 
county for the purpose of incorporating the needs, 
uses, and input of affected counties. 
(2) CONCURRENCE.—The Secretary may not 
implement an access travel management action un-
less and until the Secretary— 
(A) complies with the consultation require-
ment imposed by paragraph (1); and 
(B) obtains the concurrence of each af-
fected county for implementation of the access 
travel management action. 
Æ 
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