16 U.S.C. § 538a: Forest Service Legacy Road and Trail Remediation Program

The Secretary shall establish the Forest Service Legacy Road and Trail Remediation Program (referred to in this section as the “Program”). improving, repairing, or replacing culverts and other infrastructure; and removing barriers, as the Secretary determines appropriate, from the passages; a Motor Vehicle Use Map and the road is not identified as a National Forest System road on that Motor Vehicle Use Map; or a map depicting the authorized trails in the applicable unit of the National Forest System and the trail is not identified as a National Forest System trail on that map; prevents motor vehicle use, as appropriate to conform to route designations; prevents the roads from damaging adjacent resources, including aquatic and wildlife resources; reduces or eliminates the need for road maintenance; and preserves the roads for future use; decommission previously closed National Forest System roads and trails in accordance with subsections (c)(1) and (d); to increase resilience to extreme weather events, flooding, and other natural disasters; and to respond to changing resource conditions and public input; convert National Forest System roads to National Forest System trails, while allowing for continued use for motorized and nonmotorized recreation, to the extent the use is compatible with the management status of the road or trail; for emergency operations; or to facilitate a resource extraction project; that were designated as a temporary road by the Secretary; and in violation of section 1608(b) of this title , on which vegetation cover has not been reestablished; or that have not been fully decommissioned; and carry out projects on National Forest System roads, trails, and bridges to improve resilience to extreme weather events, flooding, or other natural disasters. to close the road or trail to access; and to minimize impacts to natural resources; and has closed the road or trail to access as described in clause (i)(I). a project described in subsection (b)(2); or a project carried out on a watershed for which the Secretary has entered into a cooperative agreement under section 1011a of this title . establish a process for annually selecting projects for funding under the Program, consistent with the requirements of this section; solicit and consider public input regionally in the ranking of projects for funding under the Program; protect or improve water quality in public drinking water source areas; restore the habitat of a threatened, endangered, or sensitive fish or wildlife species; or maintain future access to the adjacent area for the public, contractors, permittees, or firefighters; and the selection process established under subparagraph (A); and a list that includes a description and the proposed outcome of each project funded under the Program in each fiscal year. is adequate to meet any increasing demands for timber, recreation, and other uses; provides for intensive use, protection, development, and management of the land under principles of multiple use and sustained yield of products and services; does not damage, degrade, or impair adjacent resources, including aquatic and wildlife resources, to the extent practicable; reflects long-term funding expectations; and is adequate for supporting emergency operations, such as evacuation routes during wildfires, floods, and other natural disasters; and all projects funded under the Program are consistent with any applicable forest plan or travel management plan. A decision to fund a project under the Program shall not affect any determination made previously or to be made in the future by the Secretary with regard to road or trail closures.