California Attorney General Rob Bonta led a coalition of nine attorneys general on Mar. 10 in sending a letter to the U.S. Forest Service opposing proposed changes that would reduce public participation in decision-making for Forest Service projects.
The issue is significant because the proposed rule could limit how communities, Tribes, and organizations participate in decisions affecting millions of acres of national forest land, including issues like timber sales and hazardous fuels management. The attorneys general argue that these changes would restrict public awareness and involvement in decisions with major local and regional impacts.
Bonta said, “Public participation is paramount in government decision-making, but the Trump Administration would rather undermine active community involvement so they can quickly and easily exploit our public lands. Let’s be clear: This isn’t efficiency, it’s obstruction. Our communities play an important role in preventing hazards and preserving our forests. Public agencies like the Forest Service should empower people to actively exercise their rights and engage in decisions that impact our natural resources, not work to strip away those rights.”
The current administrative review process has allowed for public input since 2013 on projects affecting recreation, access, and natural resources across California’s 20 million acres of national forest land. The new proposal would shorten comment periods from 30 days to 10 days for some projects and from 45 days to 20 days for others; remove neutral reviewing officials; change publication locations for notices; impose page limits on objections; and allow the agency to disregard comments without specific recommendations or mitigation measures.
Bonta leads the California Attorney General’s office, which serves as the state’s chief law enforcement authority focusing on enforcing state laws, protecting public rights and safety, and advancing initiatives in civil rights, consumer protection, and environmental justice according to the official website. The office promotes transparency through tools such as the OpenJustice portal for publishing criminal justice data according to the official website. It forms an integral part of California’s executive branch as outlined by the state constitution according to the official website.
The California Attorney General’s office exercises its authority statewide according to the official website and advances policies related to civil rights, consumer economic security, and environmental justice according to the official website.
Looking ahead, Bonta is joined by attorneys general from Colorado, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington in urging reconsideration of these proposed changes.
