Rep. Vasquez Presses Forest Service Chief on Declining Trail Quality on Public Lands

WASHINGTON, D.C.- On March 24, 2026, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02)and his colleagues sent a letterto U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Chief Tom Schultz demanding answers on declining trail quality on public lands before the peak summer season. Recently, the USFS published an internal reportdetailing a "trail maintenance crisis" with "impassable trails" and "unsafe bridges" due to staffing and budget cuts implemented by the Administration.

"Outdoor recreation is an important economic driver for rural and Tribal communities near national forests and grasslands," wrote the members."Despite the clear value of trails and the agency's stated focus on outdoor access, conditions on the ground are deteriorating."

"Given that USFS has acknowledged these issues internally, it is imperative that our constituents understand how you plan to address the deterioration in outdoor access and better maintain trails this year," the members continued.

The members are demanding answers to the following questions to ensure taxpayers can safely enjoy trails this summer season:

• How will the USFS address the issues in the report before the summer field season?
• How will the USFS restore sufficient staffing to prevent the proliferation of "unpassable trails, unsafe bridges and negative environmental impacts" as detailed in this report?
• If a National Forest has outside grants, local funding and other non-appropriated dollars available, how does the public benefit from restricting national forests' use of those resources to hire seasonal staff and implement on-the-ground projects?

Rep. Vasquez is a leading champion for public lands and outdoor spaces in Congress, and this letter to the USFS is the latest in his ongoing push to protect our nation's public lands.

• Last year, he founded the bipartisan Public Lands Caucusand successfully worked across the aisle to thwart a predatory attempt to sell off millions of acres of public lands to pay for tax breaks for billionaires as part of the Republican tax bill.
• The Congressman is a proud leader of the Roadless Area Conservation Act, which would codify the 2001 Roadless Rule. He sent a letter to Secretary Rollins expressing concern that the public comment period for their proposal to repeal the Roadless Rule does not allow for meaningful public participation and urged her to extend the public comment period by 30 days.
• The Congressman also serves as Co-Chair of the Wildlife Refuge Caucus and is working to bolster staffing and funding across the National Wildlife Refuge System.
• Last year, he introduced legislation designating National Wildlife Refuge Week and the Arctic Refuge Protection Actto safeguard critical habitats nationwide.

###