Blues Intergovernmental Council Members,
In June 2025, the Pacific Northwest Regional Forester issued Interim Guidance for Travel Management Proposals and Decisions to all National Forests in Oregon and Washington. Through this letter, I am clarifying how the Regional Forester’s memo will be implemented on the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest.
Consistent with this new direction, the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest will not initiate NEPA planning efforts to address Subpart B or Subpart C of the 2005 Travel Management Rule (36 CFR 212).
In addition, implementation of the Travel Management Rule is not part of the Blue Mountains Forest Plan Revision process. Each road management decision on the National Forest is made either on a project-by-project basis or as part of a separate analysis. The Forest Plan provides a
strategic framework to guide future project-level decisions through desired conditions, management areas and suitability ratings within each management area for a range of activities. Because the Forest Plan is strategic and does not provide project-specific guidance, a new Forest Plan will not change current access on the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest.
The Regional Forester’s memo also suspends planning and implementation of site-specific road actions that would reduce public access within individual projects. All current or future project analysis will comply with the Regional Forester’s direction. The Wallowa-Whitman National Forest is currently evaluating all ongoing projects to ensure alignment with the intent of the memo. There may still be some situations where road actions are necessary to address resource impacts
As the stewards of public land, we are committed to managing these landscapes for future generations- and that includes maintaining public access to the land. We invite you to continue sharing your feedback and ideas with us so together we can identify the most meaningful outcomes for the land and communities we serve.
Sincerely,
Shaun P McKinney
Wallowa-Whitman National Forest
Forest Supervisor