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The Forest Service regulation needs to be revised to provide the authority to impose temporary health and safety restrictions and prohibitions in areas designated by special order in support of the Executive Order 13991: Protecting the Federal Workforce and Requiring Mask-Wearing and to address other immediate public health and safety concerns as they may arise. The United States Department of Agriculture (the Department) is issuing a proposed rule that would authorize the Forest Service to enforce temporary measures on National Forest System lands as needed to protect public health or safety.

This Forest Service regulation is being withdrawn. The federal Public Health Emergency declaration for the COVID-19 pandemic is scheduled to expire on May 11, 2023. Future pandemics could again necessitate the issuance of temporary health and safety restrictions and prohibitions. However, lessons learned from our response to the COVID-19 pandemic, along with authorities granted through Executive Orders and Presidential Proclamations, enable us to do so without need for issuance of new regulations.