Public Comment

When the rule was first enacted in 2001, the government held hundreds of public hearings that took nearly two years. For ending the rule, there are no public hearings scheduled except in Alaska.

The proposal would flip current motorized use rules on their head, allowing access unless designated otherwise. Recreationists called the change overdue, but conservationists fear a free-for-all.

Under a federal proposal, the current 90-day public comment period for oil drilling on "split estate" land would become just 10 days. Monday is the last day to comment on the new proposal.

Significant changes to federal lands are happening this year, but submitting public comment on those changes can be confusing. A new app hopes to simplify the process.