Should the NPS permit motor vehicles in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area?

This bill Became Law
Bill Summary

This joint resolution hopes to nullify a rule issued by the National Park Service (NPS) discussing motor vehicle use at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, which includes Lake Powell in Utah and Arizona. Proponents believe this rule will restrict access to boaters and local communities that rely on motor vehicle access for recreation and tourism, infringing on state and local input and limiting public land use. However, opponents believe reversing this rule would harm ecosystems and undermine environmental protections. This bill can also block the NPS from re-implementing similar safeguards for long-term ecological risks. Sponsor: Rep. Celeste Maloy (Republican, Utah, District 2)
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Opponents say

•      "Despite her district containing some of the most remarkable public lands in the country, Rep. Maloy is dead-set on dismantling even the most basic protections for these places. While the 2025 Henry Mountains/Dirty Devil travel plan got many things wrong and still favors motorized recreation in far too many areas, Rep. Maloy’s bill would be worse – taking land management back to a 2008 plan that a Federal court ruled violated federal law…We’re not going to stand by and let this remote and stunning area at the heart of Utah’s redrock country be turned into a off-road vehicle free-for-all. SUWA’s members and our redrock champions in Congress will defeat this bill." Source: SUWA DC Director Travis Hammill


•      "The undersigned groups urge you in the strongest possible terms to oppose any attempt to use the Congressional Review Act (CRA) in an unprecedented and improper fashion. This includes a resolution to aim to repeal waivers issued during the previous administration by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to the state of California, which allow California to set protective pollution standards for certain vehicles under the Clean Air Act (CAA) without being preempted by national standards established by EPA. Our groups are not taking a collective position on the merits of any of these resolutions, nor should this be interpreted as a defense of existing CRA procedures as they stand. Instead, we are warning that the CRA process is being flagrantly abused, resulting in a fundamental unsettling of existing filibuster rules. According to its defenders, the CRA was enacted to provide Congress the ability to review, and potentially repeal, recently issued regulatory actions on an expedited basis that bypasses the filibuster in the Senate. Yet, in order for Congress to use the CRA’s special set of parliamentary procedures to disapprove, and thus repeal, a particular regulatory action, that action must meet the explicitly defined criteria in the CRA that members of Congress agreed upon when they first enacted the CRA.Source: CSS (Coalition for Sensible Safeguards and 80 groups)

Proponents say

•    "Today is a great day for Utahns and all Americans who enjoy outdoor recreation and access to our public lands. With today's vote, House Republicans are restoring access to iconic American destinations and undoing the Biden administration’s land lockups. I thank Congresswoman Maloy for her work on this issue and her steadfast leadership for southern Utah." Source: Chairman Bruce Westerman (Republican, Arkansas, District 4)


•      "I am also here today to testify on behalf of H.J. Res. 60, an important continuation of the Committee on Natural Resources’ work to restore multiple use and public access to our federal lands. Southern Utah is home to many of America’s most majestic and stunning natural wonders – from the canyons of Zion National Park to the sweeping vistas and otherworldly terrain of Arches. In a state full of outdoor recreation opportunities, one of the most cherished locations for exploration is the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Before it was officially designated as a recreation area by Congress, off-road enthusiasts had been heading out to conquer the roughhewn trails and unique terrain this area offers. In support of outdoor recreation, the National Park Service worked to expand off-road recreation opportunities as recently as 2021, but was quickly beaten back by radical environmental litigants. The Biden administration later issued a rule restricting off-road activity in the recreation area, overturning decades of precedent and dramatically limiting public access. Congresswoman Maloy’s efforts will overturn this draconian rule and reopen dozens of miles of prized off-road trails for Utahns and all Americans to enjoy. I urge the Committee to report an appropriate rule so these resolutions can be considered in the House. Thank you, and I yield back."  Source: Chairman Bruce Westerman (Republican, Arkansas, District 4)