The Forest Service has adopted a new law enforcement rule designed to enhance its ability to address issues such as substance abuse and wildfire prevention on national forests. While intended to improve consistency with state law enforcement, the rule has raised some state sovereignty and jurisdictional concerns, including for Mesa County commissioners and Mesa Sheriff Todd Rowell, who contended in a letter to the Forest Service that the rule isn’t authorized by federal law. The Forest Service said in a Federal Register notice in 2023 that agency law enforcement personnel “continue to encounter a significant volume of violations for simple possession of controlled substances and drug paraphernalia,” and routinely deal with underage alcohol possession in national forests. Such violations threaten the safety of forest visitors and personnel, it says.