OPINION
By Don Amador
April 1, 2026
Forest Service Reform – Recognize Recreation as
Essential Program
The recent move by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to
reorganize the U.S. Forest Service—including shifting key leadership functions
out of Washington, D.C.—has sparked cautious optimism across both the
powersports community and agency ranks.
For years, stakeholders—from tribes and counties to
recreation groups and industry—have voiced the same concern: too much
bureaucracy and not enough capacity in the field. The impact is tangible.
Projects move slowly, fuels reduction lags, and recreation
infrastructure—especially trails—falls behind maintenance needs.
Agency leads and field personnel are often tasked with
delivering results while navigating increasingly complex processes with limited
resources. The gap between policy and implementation has grown, and with it,
frustration on all sides.
If done right, it could mark a long-overdue shift—moving
resources, authority, and accountability closer to the landscapes and
communities where they are needed most. The USDA’s emphasis on “common-sense
forest management” suggests a renewed focus on active management, wildfire
resilience, and getting projects across the finish line.
For the powersports community, this is not an abstract
policy debate. Access depends on capacity. When field offices are understaffed
or under-resourced, trails degrade, maintenance backlogs grow, and
opportunities for collaboration are lost. When resources are aligned with field
delivery, the opposite happens—projects move forward, partnerships strengthen,
and access improves.
There is also a unique opportunity right now. The direction
of this reorganization aligns with long-standing recommendations from
stakeholders: streamline bureaucracy, empower field staff, and focus on
outcomes. Across the West, collaborative models—tribal co-stewardship,
stewardship contracting, and recreation partnerships—are already proving what
works.
To succeed, it must go beyond structural change. It needs
to continue shifting real resources to the field, empower local
decision-making, and recognize recreation as essential infrastructure—not an
afterthought.
FS NEWS RELEASE ON REORGANIZATION
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Don Amador has been
in the trail advocacy and recreation management profession for 35 years. Don is President of Quiet Warrior Racing
LLC. Don serves as the Western States Representative for the Motorcycle
Industry Council. Don is Past President/CEO and current board member of the
Post Wildfire OHV Recovery Alliance. Don
is a Co-Founder and Core-Team member on FireScape Mendocino, a forest health
collaborative that is part of the National Fire Learning Network. Don served as an AD Driver for the Forest
Service North Zone Fire Cache during the 2022, 2023, and 2024 Fire
Seasons.
Moving the Forest Service headquarters out of Washington, D.C., won't actually fix our broken trail systems. While the opinion piece is right that both motorized riders and hikers are frustrated by slow project approvals and neglected trails, shifting offices across the country is the wrong medicine. This move will likely cause experienced staff to quit and cut the agency off from the federal budget meetings where trail funding is actually decided.
ReplyDeleteInstead of playing musical chairs with offices, the government needs to fix the actual bottlenecks. They should cut through the endless paperwork that stalls simple trail repairs, hire more rangers on the ground, and make it easier for local volunteer clubs to help maintain the land. True progress comes from funding the field, not moving the bosses.
Tell the USDA to stop the distractions and focus on real solutions. Go to the Outdoor Alliance Action Center (https://www.outdooralliance.org/blog/2026/4/10/forest-service-announces-reorganization-headquarters-relocation) or your preferred public lands advocacy page today to submit an official comment. Request that Congress reject devastating trail maintenance budget cuts and protect our public lands by keeping trail funding where it belongs—directly in the hands of our local ranger districts.
Analysis, research and comment generated using Google AI with specific prompts. Al LePage, Trails Advocate
Moving the Forest Service headquarters out of Washington, D.C., won't actually fix our broken trail systems. While the opinion piece is right that both motorized riders and hikers are frustrated by slow project approvals and neglected trails, shifting offices across the country is the wrong medicine. This move will likely cause experienced staff to quit and cut the agency off from the federal budget meetings where trail funding is actually decided.
ReplyDeleteInstead of playing musical chairs with offices, the government needs to fix the actual bottlenecks. They should cut through the endless paperwork that stalls simple trail repairs, hire more rangers on the ground, and make it easier for local volunteer clubs to help maintain the land. True progress comes from funding the field, not moving the bosses.
Tell the USDA to stop the distractions and focus on real solutions. Go to the Outdoor Alliance Action Center (https://www.outdooralliance.org/blog/2026/4/10/forest-service-announces-reorganization-headquarters-relocation) or your preferred public lands advocacy page today to submit an official comment. Request that Congress reject devastating trail maintenance budget cuts and protect our public lands by keeping trail funding where it belongs—directly in the hands of our local ranger districts.
AI generated research, analysis, comment submitted by Al LePage, Trail Advocate