John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act
On March 12, 2019, President Trump signed S. 47 into law as Public Law 116-9, the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act.
In accordance with SEC. 4105. IDENTIFYING OPPORTUNITIES FOR RECREATION, HUNTING, AND FISHING ON FEDERAL LAND; the USDA Forest Service is providing the following priority list and is seeking nominations that describe areas on agency-managed lands where access is currently nonexistent or limited for hunting, fishing or other recreational opportunities.
The agency wants to hear from the public about those areas on national forests and grasslands that are not on the list. The lands nominated must be managed by the Forest Service, be a minimum of 640 acres, and unreachable by foot, horseback, motorized vehicle or non-motorized vehicle because of the presence of lands owned or managed by others.
Forest Service Priority List
| REGION | NATIONAL FOREST - GRASSLAND | RANGER DISTRICT - GRASSLAND | Township, Range, Section, Etc. (Location of the parcel) |
Acreage (estimate) |
Access Needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Beaverhead-Deerlodge | Butte | T3N R2W, T3N R3W, Multiple Secs. T4N R4W, T4N R3W, Multiple Secs. |
10,240 | Private |
| 01 | Beaverhead-Deerlodge | Pintler | T10N, R14W, Sec. 8 | 641.21 | Private |
| 01 | Custer Gallatin | Bozeman | T3N and T4N R6E, Multiple Secs. | 1,920 | Private |
| 01 | Custer Gallatin | Yellowstone | T4N, R12E, Multiple Secs. | 1,600 | Private |
| 01 | Custer Gallatin | Yellowstone | T2N, R11E, Sec. 12; T2N, R12E, Sec. 8 T3N, R11E, Sec. 12; R3N, R12E, Secs. 14, 24 |
3,200 | Private |
| 01 | Flathead | Glacier View | T30 and 31N, R19 and 20W, multiple sec. | 1,880 | Private |
| 01 | Helena | Helena | T13N, R1E, Secs. 14-16, 22 | 2,258.14 | Private |
| 01 | Helena | Townsend | T6N, R3E, Secs. 26, 36 | 1,120 | Private |
| 01 | Helena | Townsend | T12N, R3E, Secs. 10, 12, 14, 22, 24 | 3,200 | Private |
| 01 | Lewis and Clark | Belt Creek/White Sulphur Springs | T6N, R11E, Sec. 14 T7N, R8E, Sec. 4 T12N, R6E, Secs. 4-6, 8, 10, 14, 30 T13N, R5E, Sec. 36 |
6,538.45 | Private |
| 01 | Little Missouri National Grassland | McKenzie | T145N, R105W, Secs. 22, 26, 27, 34 | 1,108.45 | Private |
| 01 | Little Missouri National Grassland | Medora | T134N, R103W, Secs. 19, 20, 29, 30 T134N, R104W, Secs. 24, 25 T134N, R102W, Secs. 5, 6, 8, 17-21, 28-30 T135N, R102W, Sec. 32 |
7,172.32 | Private |
| 01 | Lolo | Plains/Thompson Falls | T24N, R27W, Secs. 28, 29 | 724.27 | Private |
| 02 | Arapaho/Roosevelt | Clear Creek | T5S, R72W, Secs. 23, 26, 27, 34, 35 | 990 | Private |
| 02 | Arapaho/Roosevelt | Pawnee | T10N, R66W, Secs. 34, 35 T9N, R66W, Sec. 2 |
1,199 | State, Private, ARS |
| 02 | Arapaho/Roosevelt | Pawnee | T11N, R66W, Sec. 26 | 640 | Private |
| 02 | Black Hills | Bearlodge | T52N, R65W, Secs. 28-33 | 1,781 | Private |
| 02 | Black Hills | Hell Canyon | T8S, R4E, Multiple Secs. | 8,308 | Private |
| 02 | Medicine Bow-Routt | Douglas/Thunder Basin | T37N, R68W, Secs. 7-10, 13-15, 17-21, 23, 27, 28, 30, 32 | 6,880 | BLM, Private |
| 02 | Medicine Bow-Routt | Douglas/Thunder Basin | T28N, R75W, Multiple Secs. T29N, R75W, Multiple Secs. |
8,900 | State, Private, BLM |
| 02 | Medicine Bow-Routt | Douglas/Thunder Basin | T25N, R71W, Secs. 28, 33, 34, 35 T24N, R71W, Multiple Secs. |
4,377 | State, Private, BLM |
| 02 | Medicine Bow-Routt | Douglas/Thunder Basin | T26N, R70W, Secs. 31, 32 | 1,920 | Private |
| 02 | Nebraska | Fall River | T3S R10E, Secs. 20-22, 24-28, 35 T3S R11E, Sec. 29 |
4,600 | Private |
| 02 | San Juan | Columbine | T35N, R6W, Secs. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 NMPM | 1,034 | Private |
| 02 | San Juan | Pagosa | T33N, R1E, Secs. 34, 35, 36 NMPM | 920 | BLM, Private |
| 03 | Cibola | Kiowa/Rita Blanca | T20N, R25E, Secs 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 | 3,840 | State, Private |
| 03 | Cibola | Mount Taylor | T11N, R15W, Sec. 16 | 640 | Private |
| 03 | Cibola | Mountainair | T10N, R5E, Secs. 21, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 | 1,280 | Private |
| 03 | Prescott | Chino Valley | T19N and T20N, R5W and R6W | 16,000 | Private |
| 04 | Boise | Mountain Home | T1N, R10E, Secs. 29, 31, 32, 33 T1S, R10E, Secs. 4, 5, 6 |
1,740 | State, Private |
| 04 | Manti-La Sal | Moab | T50N, R20W, Secs. 23, 24, 25, 26 | 1,783 | BLM, Private |
| 05 | Cleveland | Palomar | T14S, R2E, Multiple Secs | 5,000 | BIA, Private |
| 05 | Eldorado | Georgetown | T11N, R11E, Sec. 8 | 842.54 | Private |
| 05 | Mendocino | Upper Lake | T18N, R11W, Secs. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 T19N, R11W, Secs. 30, 31, 32 |
1,600 | State, Private |
| 05 | Mendocino | Grindstone | T25N, R7W, Sec. 32 | 640 | Private |
| 05 | Tahoe | Sierraville | T20N, R14E, Sec. 28 | 640.01 | Private |
| 05 | Tahoe | Yuba River | T20N, R13E, Sec. 16 | 646.67 | Private |
| 06 | Gifford Pinchot | Cowlitz | T13N, R4E, Sec. 16 | 654.16 | Private |
| 06 | Gifford Pinchot | Mt. Adams | T4N, R12E, Secs. 30, 31 T4N, R11E, Sec. 36 |
786 | Private |
| 06 | Malheur | Blue Mountain | T12S, R30E, Sec. 30 | 640 | Private |
| 06 | Okanogan-Wenatchee | Snoqualmie | T24N, R9E, Sec. 11 | 640 | State, Private |
| 06 | Okanogan-Wenatchee | Chelan | T28N, R23E, Secs. 17, 20 | 640 | BLM, Private |
| 06 | Okanogan-Wenatchee | Naches | T14N, R15E, Sec. 32 | 640 | State, Private |
| 08 | Daniel Boone | Cumberland | 83.41'47.431W 38.2'33.135N | 832 | Private |
| 08 | Daniel Boone | Redbird | 83.30'30.247W 37.0'15.876N | 3,004 | Private |
| 08 | George Washington & Jefferson | Eastern Divide | Craig County, VA | 5,760 | Private |
| 08 | George Washington & Jefferson | James River | Tract 14, DB Alleghany County | 2,462 | Private |
| 08 | George Washington & Jefferson | Mount Rogers | Glade Mountain Area | 4,300 | Private |
| 08 | George Washington & Jefferson | Warm Springs | Tract O-407 Bath County | 3,640 | Private |
| 09 | Mark Twain | Potosi/Fredericktown | T34N, R4E, Secs. 22-27, 34, 35 | 2,738 | Private |
| 09 | Monongahela | Gauley | US Tract 372, Turkey Mtn Area | 4,404 | Private |
| 09 | Monongahela | Greenbrier | US Tracts 317, 361a, 361e, 562, 563, 638c, 641 | 4,853 | Private |
| 09 | Monongahela | Marlinton | US Tracts M51a, 372 | 4,950 | Private |
| 09 | Monongahela | Potomac | US Tracts 945 and 1117 | 1,335 | Private |
| 09 | Monongahela | White Sulphur | US Tract 1403N | 6,825 | Private |
| 09 | Shawnee | Mississippi Bluffs | T8S, R4W, Secs. 17, 19, 20 T8S, R5W, Secs. 13, 24 |
868 | Private |
Disclaimer: The priority list above is non-inclusive of all National Forests and Grasslands that may have restricted or no public access, this is a draft list and work in progress.
The Forest Service is now accepting nominations for parcels that are not mentioned on the list above. Parcels are required to meet the following guidelines:
- to which there is no public access or egress; or
- to which public access or egress to the legal boundaries of the land is significantly restricted (as determined by the Secretary).
- Minimum size -- any land identified shall consist of contiguous acreage of at least 640 acres.
- Means of Public Access and Egress Included -- by motorized or non-motorized vehicles; and on foot or horseback.
To nominate a parcel of agency-managed land for consideration, email SM.FS.nominations@usda.gov or write to Lands and Realty Management, ATTN: Access Nominations, USDA Forest Service, 1400 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20250-1111.
Nominations should include a name, contact information and brief description of the land being nominated.