The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and its sub-agency, the US Forest Service (USFS), have taken two significant steps to modernize the regulatory framework governing hard rock mining on National Forest System (NFS) lands. USFS has proposed an overhaul of its locatable mineral regulations, while USDA has finalized updates to its NEPA implementing procedures, together reshaping how mining operations are planned, permitted, and reviewed on federal forest lands. Operators should take note of both.
