Dear Tribal Leader:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service is notifying you of the opportunity to consult on the agency’s implementation of the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act.

The Forest Service National Policy Summary Analysis summarizes key pieces of the legislation and identifies how implementation may affect Tribal governments, Alaska Native Corporations, and the Tribal citizens they may represent. This information, as well as information on other agency issues, is also available on the Forest Service, Office of Tribal Relations’ National Consultation webpage at https://www.fs.usda.gov/working-with-us/tribal-relations/national-consultation.

The agency is planning a Tribal Forum engagement session on February 11^th to share information and answer questions pertaining to this issue. The details of the forum are below as well as the registration link. Please follow the link below to register for the Tribal Forum engagement session.

Tribal Forum Details
Date: February 11, 2026
Time: 2-3:30 PM Eastern Time
Platform: Zoom
Registration Link: https://www.zoomgov.com/meeting/register/Dbyn_fTRRaq6eRtUVDENtw

The agency is using email to ensure timely communication of this notification of opportunity to consult. The Office of Tribal Relations is available to facilitate consultation with agency Consulting Officials but you may also request consultation directly at the local level. Local line officers will summarize issues and report the outcomes of consultation to me, the Office of Tribal Relations Director. To allow the Forest Service adequate time to consider and incorporate the results of consultation, we request that you submit your requests or comments within 120 days of receipt of this correspondence.

Please contact the Regional Forester/Forest Supervisor in your area, or the Office of Tribal Relations in Washington, D.C., at SM.FS.otrtribalcon@usda.gov, to request consultation on this issue or to ask any questions. Thank you for your time and consideration.