Ground Truth Blog
District Court Halts Forest Service Reorganization
For more than a decade, Congress has barred the Department of Agriculture (USDA) from spending appropriated funds to reorganize the department without the approval of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, and since 2020 it has imposed the same requirement on...
New USDA Regulation Crimps Public Process for Cherished Public Lands
Here at FSEEE, we are deeply concerned by the Department of Agriculture’s final revisions to 36 CFR 218 — published October 13, 2026 — which sharply curtail the public’s voice in managing its own lands. Comment periods shrink to 15 days for environmental assessments...
FSEEE Comments and Actions Regarding the Roadless Rule Rescission
The 2001 Roadless Conservation Area Rule has protected many valuable national forest lands for twenty-five years. Thank you to everyone who submitted comments in defense of our cherished legacy! At FSEEE we have been busy countering the efforts to undo this protection...
Use the Extended Comment Period Link to Submit Roadless Comments Through October 6th
To submit your comments on the proposed rescission of the Roadless Rule, please go to: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/09/11/2026-18648/special-areas-roadless-area-conservation#open-comment Comments are due 10/06/2026 at 11:59 pm EST. We have heard of...
FSEEE Prevails in Latest Fire Retardant Lawsuit
Judge sets firm deadline for compliance with Endangered Species Act. Just a couple of hours ago, the federal judge ruled in FSEEE's lawsuit against the Forest Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service over the agencies' failure...
FSEEE and PEER Oppose Travel Management Plan to Weaken National Forest Protections
Rollback Would Strip Wildlife and Watershed Safeguards from 193 Million Acres of Public Land as the Forest Service Faces an $11.44 Billion Maintenance Backlog and Plans to Cut Two-Thirds of Its Permanent Workforce Washington, DC — Forest Service Employees for...
Are Political Appointees Imminent for the Forest Service?
I've written of the uncertainty and impact of the Forest Service reorganization. I've written of how the reorganization fits within broader efforts to politicize the federal civil service and make it subservient to a powerful unitary executive, and I've written about...
Forest Service Reorganization: The Bigger Picture
When assessing the Forest Service reorganization, we must consider the bigger picture and broader changes occurring across the civil service. Doing so requires reading wonky government memos and regulations, but you can read straight through this analysis and skip the...
Defend the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule — Comment by October 6!
The U.S. Department of Agriculture intends to rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule in its entirety, stripping protection from 44.7 million acres of the wildest national forest land in the United States. The USDA published the proposed rescission rule Aug....
States Struggle With Wildfire Codes
Against the backdrop of the Spokane fires, Lauren Sommer with National Public Radio recently reported on the struggles of state governments to enact effective wildfire codes. Sommer spoke with Spokane resident Dave Kokot, whose home was threatened by two of the three...
Roadless Area Maps, Information and Video — Learn What’s at Risk
The USDA is accepting public comments about rescinding the Roadless Rule until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, October 6, 2026. Click here to read the proposed rule change. Click here to comment. As a staunch National Forest advocate, FSEEE is working to identify...
Defend Our Roadless Legacy – Comment period extended until October 6th!
Comment Now to Protect the Crown Jewels of our National Forests. The U.S. Department of Agriculture published a proposed rule Aug. 18 to rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule in its entirety, stripping protection from 44.7 million acres of the wildest...