Action Alert: USDA / US Forest Service Reorganization Plan Comment Period Now Open
USDA is seeking comments on its Reorganization Plan. Speak up before the extended September 30 deadline.
Why the USDA/Forest Service Reorganization Should Be A Concern for California Mountain Bikers
The USDA is moving forward with a sweeping reorganization of its departments, including the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). This plan phases out California’s Region 5 office. It also relocates key research functions to Colorado. Combined, these changes will significantly affect how our trails and forests are managed. The USDA is accepting comments on Secretary Rollin’s Memorandum until September 30.
Please use our platform and the draft letter to share your feedback!
Why does this matter to mountain bikers?
California has 18 National Forests, more than any other state, spanning diverse ecosystems, terrain, and communities. These lands contain hundreds of miles of legal mountain bike and gravel routes, from high country epic rides in the Tahoe and Sierra National Forests to singletrack near urban edges in the San Gabriels and Los Padres. Even if not every CAMTB member organization currently partners directly with the Forest Service, almost all mountain bikers and gravel riders in California ride trails on National Forest lands. Management decisions regarding those trails directly impact access, experience, and the integrity of the ecosystems.
Region 5 plays a vital role in ensuring consistent trail standards, providing staff and volunteer training, supporting relationships with trail stewardship groups, and coordinating recovery after catastrophic wildfires. A key example is the Region 5 special agreement with the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA) for professional‑level trail construction and maintenance training. These trainings improve the quality, safety, and sustainability of the trail work being done on the national forests. Without a regional structure, these capacity‑building education programs are likely to disappear.
The Pacific Southwest Research Station, based in Southern California, provides trail sustainability science tailored to our soils, weather patterns, and terrain, and is the only research station situated in a predominantly chaparral ecosystem with a Mediterranean climate. Consolidating research in Colorado risks losing this local expertise, which informs how trails are built and maintained, and wildfires are fought here in California.
What can you do?
CAMTB, along with Outdoor Alliance and IMBA, is urging the USDA to develop a US Forest Service-specific reorganization plan that accounts for California’s unique climate, geography, and ecosystems. Additionally, we are advocating for an extended public comment period to ensure that cyclists, trail stewards, and the general public can be heard.
Stay informed, spread the word, and speak up for local expertise in managing California’s National Forest trails.
