Policy Watch|United States
U.S. Forest Service gives the public as little as 10 days to object to national-forest projects, down from 45
A USDA final rule, scheduled for Federal Register publication on 13 October 2026 and effective 30 days later, rewrites how people challenge logging, grazing, road and other projects on national forests and grasslands before they are approved. Comment periods drop to 15 days for environmental assessments and 30 for environmental impact statements, from 30 and 45. The window to file an objection falls to 10 or 20 days, from 45 for most projects. The independent reviewing officer is dropped, and notices move from newspapers to USDA websites. Because objecting is a precondition for suing, the shorter windows also bear on who can go to court.
Daily Teabag Desk·Centre