Glen Canyon off-road and all-terrain vehicle access restored by Trump, Utah lawmakers

WASHINGTON (ABC4) — President Trump signed a law today which overturns a rule that banned the use of certain vehicles in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

A Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to overturn a National Park Service rule which prohibited the use of off-road vehicles (ORVs) and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) on 24 miles of park roads in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area was introduced by three of Utah’s elected officials: Representative Celeste Maloy (UT-02), Senator John Curtis (R-UT), and Senator Mike Lee (R-UT).

Today, that resolution was signed into law by President Trump, reversing the rule set in place by the National Park Service on February 12th.

The original rule restricted the use of ORVs and street-legal ATVs on 24 miles of park roads in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. The route includes an 8-mile segment of the Poison Spring Loop and access roads to Lake Powell. 

Its intention was to protect the environment and visitor experience in the park, but many Utahns were not pleased with it, according to Rep. Maloy.

“When Utahns found out that the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area’s Travel Management Plan included nonsensical restrictions on motorized access, they reached out for help,” Rep. Maloy said in a press release.

Rep. Maloy filed a resolution under the CRA which allows Congress to overturn agency rules with a majority vote in both chambers and within 60 legislative days of the rule being submitted to Congress. It also prohibits the agency from issuing a new rule that is “substantially the same” as the disapproved rule unless authorized by subsequent legislation.

“We took legislative action and, through this CRA, reversed a rule pushed through by the previous administration,” Rep. Maloy added. “Utahns shouldn’t be shut out of decisions that affect their own backyard. Now we can continue to recreate in the National Recreation Area. Thank you to our Senators for working with me to get this done for Utah.”