Washington, D.C.— Today, Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and Rep. Celeste Maloy (R-UT) introduced a Congressional Review Act resolution to block the U.S. Forest Service’s (USFS) Criminal Prohibitions Rule. The rule grants Forest Service law enforcement authority to enforce state laws on National Forest lands. Additionally, the rule incorporates state traffic laws into the federal code. It went into effect on December 26, 2024.
“The Forest Service’s so-called criminal prohibition rule usurps local law enforcement and creates jurisdictional ambiguity,” said Senator Lummis. “This is mission creep, not good governance, and I have grave constitutional concerns about this rule. I am proud to join my colleagues in filing this resolution to return power to state and local law enforcement agencies.”
“Congress created the Forest Service to manage production and watersheds — not to enforce state and local laws,” said Rep. Maloy. “The criminal prohibition rule is yet another example of agency overreach as it encroaches on the law enforcement authority of our Sheriffs and creates jurisdictional challenges. It must be stopped.”
The Western States Sheriffs’ Association, representing over 1,200 Sheriffs and 18 states west of the Mississippi, condemned this USFS rule in a letter last December saying it is “wrought with legal and constitutional hurdles.” You can read that letter here.
Read the text of the resolution here.
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