Three Federal Actions Mid-Atlantic Hunters and Anglers Should Be Watching

Updated October 2, 2026

Several federal actions could affect how Mid-Atlantic hunters and anglers access public lands and waters. For members of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers' Mid-Atlantic Chapter, it can be difficult to determine which national announcements actually matter here at home.

Three developments deserve attention: proposed revisions to the Forest Service Travel Management Rule, the proposed rescission of the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, and a executive order addressing hunting. The executive order dealing with saltwater angling will be addressed later.

They are connected by a common question: how should we provide meaningful public access while conserving the habitat, wildlife and wild character that make that access valuable in the first place?

Travel Management Rule

The Travel Management Rule process is at an early scoping stage. The Forest Service issued a notice of intent in August outlining potential changes to the framework used to manage motorized travel on National Forest System lands. A formal proposed rule and draft environmental impact statement are expected in spring 2027. Among other provisions, the contemplated changes would establish a national policy favoring increased access, create a presumption that existing access routes are available for appropriate public use unless restrictions are justified, require recurring review of closed or highly restricted routes, and create mechanisms for certain limited off-route motorized uses.[1]

The initial public comment period closed September 23, 2026. That does not mean roads or trails suddenly opened. The current notice does not change existing Motor Vehicle Use Maps or travel designations.[1]

The contemplated changes also include removing national minimization criteria used to address impacts on soils, watersheds, wildlife habitat and conflicts among recreational uses. For BHA members, the question is how future travel decisions would protect those resources while providing responsible access.[1]

For our chapter, the most direct connection is Virginia. The George Washington and Jefferson National Forests contain extensive public hunting and fishing country, and their Motor Vehicle Use Maps identify where motorized travel is currently legal. The next phase matters because future decisions about roads, trails, motorized game retrieval and access could influence everything from hunter distribution to habitat security and the character of remote recreation.

Roadless Area Conservation Rule

The Roadless Rule process is further along, and the public can still participate. USDA has released a proposed rule and draft environmental impact statement to rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which generally restricts road construction, road reconstruction and timber harvesting in inventoried roadless areas. The agency extended the public comment deadline to October 6, 2026.[2][4]

This is not merely a western issue. The George Washington and Jefferson National Forests include inventoried roadless areas in Virginia that provide important backcountry hunting and fishing settings. Forest Service planning documents have long recognized these landscapes for their roadless and remote backcountry characteristics. Forestwide acreage totals should not be confused with Virginia-only acreage because these forests also extend into neighboring states.[3]

USDA argues that rescission would provide local forest managers greater flexibility for vegetation management, wildfire response, forest health, access and other multiple-use objectives. The agency also makes clear that rescission would not itself authorize a new road or timber project. Future projects would remain subject to forest plans, environmental review and applicable federal law.[4]

BHA has formally opposed full rescission. Its position is that changes to the Roadless framework should strengthen core protections for fish and wildlife habitat, water quality and backcountry recreation rather than eliminate the national baseline altogether.[5] Members who want to participate in the federal process can submit individual comments by October 6, 2026, using the Roadless rulemaking docket linked below.[2]

Hunting access and Executive Order 14429

An executive order signed September 17 add another layer to the discussion.

Executive Order 14429, Reinvigorating America's Hunting Heritage, directs federal agencies to propose policy or regulatory changes within 180 days to expand hunting and recreational access, improve access to difficult-to-reach federal lands, support access infrastructure, authorize assistive technologies and permit traditional lead ammunition and tackle, consistent with governing law. The order also directs actions on migratory bird hunting administration and hunter recruitment, and encourages expanded Sunday hunting opportunities. These directives do not mean every change is already in effect.[6]

The regional implications vary considerably.

Virginia already allows Sunday hunting with limited statutory exceptions. Delaware permits Sunday hunting for game during established seasons on private property with permission and on designated public lands. Maryland remains considerably more complicated, with Sunday hunting varying by county, date, species and whether the property is public or private. Maryland enacted HB 1063 as Chapter 421 in May 2026. The law includes changes effective July 1, 2026, and establishes a broader DNR regulatory role beginning July 1, 2027, subject to statutory restrictions. It does not immediately authorize unrestricted statewide Sunday hunting. Hunters should consult current state schedules and property-specific rules.[7]

That makes implementation of the order worth watching, but the executive order itself does not erase existing state laws or immediately rewrite individual federal-land regulations. Agency proposals and state actions will determine much of what eventually changes.

What this means for our chapter

For the Mid-Atlantic, that means evaluating access proposals alongside habitat security, water quality, sustainable fish and wildlife populations, and opportunities for nonmotorized recreation. BHA supports responsible motorized access while conserving the wild character that makes backcountry hunting and fishing distinctive.[11]

Some of these developments may expand sporting opportunity. Others raise questions about habitat security, road density, fisheries sustainability, public participation or the future character of backcountry recreation. Many will involve tradeoffs. Those tradeoffs deserve more than slogans.

Our chapter's role should be to bring these national decisions home. That means explaining what has changed, what has not changed, how Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and Washington, D.C., fit into the discussion, and when hunters and anglers can participate. Through October 6, members can comment on the proposed Roadless Rule rescission. They can also follow BHA policy updates for the next Travel Management comment opportunity and agency proposals implementing the executive orders.

Public access and conservation are not competing missions. Access is valuable because there remains healthy habitat, clean water, abundant fish and wildlife, and places worth accessing. The challenge ahead is making sure both sides of that equation remain part of the conversation.

-Garrett Robinson is a retired Marine Corps Master Gunnery Sergeant with 26 years of active-duty service. The views expressed here are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of any organization or entity. He lives in Stafford, Virginia.

References

[1] U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. "Travel Management; National Forest System Lands." Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement, 36 CFR Parts 212 and 261, August 24, 2026. Docket FS-2026-0100. Forest Service notice BHA September policy roundup

[2] U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. "Special Areas; Roadless Area Conservation." Proposed Rule; Extension of Comment Period, RIN 0596-AD66, September 11, 2026. Official deadline extension Roadless docket and comments

[3] U.S. Forest Service. George Washington National Forest Final Environmental Impact Statement Appendices (2014), roadless and potential wilderness inventories; Jefferson National Forest Final Environmental Impact Statement Appendices (2004), roadless inventory. These planning sources describe the landscapes; this article does not report a current Virginia-only acreage total. George Washington planning appendices Jefferson planning appendices

[4] U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. "Special Areas; Roadless Area Conservation." Proposed Rule and Request for Public Comment, 91 Federal Register 53827, August 20, 2026. Proposed rule

[5] Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. "BHA Condemns USDA's Intent to Rescind Roadless Rule." August 18, 2026. BHA Roadless position

[6] Executive Order 14429. "Reinvigorating America's Hunting Heritage." September 17, 2026. Executive order BHA implementation explainer

[7] Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, "General Information & Hunting Regulations"; Maryland General Assembly, HB 1063, Chapter 421 (approved May 12, 2026), including its phased effective dates; Delaware DNREC, "Sunday Hunting." Virginia regulations Maryland enacted law Delaware Sunday hunting

[8] Executive Order 14430. "Restoring American Saltwater Angling and Recreation." September 17, 2026. Executive order

[9] NOAA Fisheries. "Atlantic Striped Bass" and recreational fishing guidance. Accessed October 2, 2026. Atlantic striped bass NOAA recreational fishing

[10] Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. "Hunting, Fishing and Public Access at Center of New Executive Orders." September 18, 2026. BHA statement

[11] Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. Mission and Values; Public Lands and Waters policies. Mission and values Public lands and waters policies