The U.S. Forest Service wants to change how people share trails in national forests. Right now, a trail is off-limits to off-highway vehicles like ATVs, dirt bikes, and side-by-sides unless it has been marked open for them. The proposed change would flip that, so nearly every trail would be open to motorized use unless the agency specifically closes it.

That could put hikers, horseback riders, mountain bikers, and off-road riders on the same narrow paths with no clear plan. Hunters and anglers, backcountry horse riders, conservation groups, and hiking groups have all come out against it. Hillary Eisen of Wild Montana called the agency's announcement "vague" and "difficult to follow."

Chris Edgington of Montana Trout Unlimited has seen what happens when a sensitive place gets too much traffic. On the Middle Fork of the Judith River in central Montana, dozens of vehicle crossings filled the water with mud and silt. By his estimate, fish numbers dropped below 10 percent of what a healthy river that size should hold. The fix came from teamwork: off-road riders, conservation groups, and government agencies rebuilt the riverbank, cut river crossings by 80 percent, and built a new trail so riders could keep using the area. Fish are coming back.

"Whether that's off-highway vehicles in the river or motorcycles on horse trails, it's going to create a lot of conflict and confusion and animosity between different user groups," Edgington told Grist.

Supporters of more motorized access raise a fair point: older visitors and people with disabilities need ways to reach public land. Today's travel plans already handle that by deciding, trail by trail, where each kind of use fits best.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and the U.S. Forest Service should keep the current travel management rule and keep working with every kind of trail user on local plans.

Sign the petition to keep national forest trails safe and fair for everyone before the rule is rewritten.