May 8, 2025 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Republicans Lead Attack on National Parks – 5.8.25

Republican Senators overturn National Park Service efforts to protect Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, despite hundreds of off-road miles remaining open

Contacts:
Hanna Larsen, Staff Attorney, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA); (801) 428-3992 (hanna@suwa.org)
Caitlyn Burford, Communications Manager, National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA); (541) 371-6452 (cburford@npca.org)

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the U.S. Senate approved H.J. Res. 60 which undoes a recently finalized rule from the National Park Service (NPS); the House of Representatives passed the resolution on April 29, 2025. The rule protects the ecological integrity and visitor experience of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (NRA) by limiting off-highway vehicles (OHVs) and street-legal all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) on 25 miles of the park’s most delicate areas. 

Utah’s Congressional delegation – led by Senators Curtis and Lee and Representative Maloy UT-02) – relied on an obscure law known as the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to pass resolutions of “disapproval” regarding the Park Service rule for Glen Canyon. This Republican-led Congress has used this Gingrich-era law to attack everything from rules covering management of the National Parks to clean air regulations to efficient hot water heaters and showerheads. Below are quotes and additional information.

“Congressional Republicans, who have previously said that the National Park Service was immune from their destructive agenda, made it clear: they lied. Led by the Utah delegation, they voted to undermine the Park Service and instead bowed to extreme motorized recreation in some of the most remote and wild parts of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area,” said Hanna Larsen, Staff Attorney for the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA). “Today’s action means that Orange Cliffs, Gunsight Butte, and Canyonlands National Park’s Maze District will be impaired by noisy, destructive off-highway vehicles. It’s a dark day for all who love Southern Utah and Glen Canyon’s wild places.’’

“It’s deeply disappointing to see Congress pass a bill that undermines the National Park Service’s ability to protect one of the most remote places in the country,” said Erika Pollard, Campaign Director, Southwest Region for the National Parks Conservation Association. “The Orange Cliffs is a place of rare solitude and unbelievable beauty that creates the once-in-a-lifetime moments so many come to Glen Canyon to experience. That’s why the Park Service limited off-road vehicles along some of the most sensitive areas and fragile shorelines. With more than 250 miles already available for off-road vehicle use, removing protections is as unnecessary as will be damaging.”

Additional information

In January 2025, the NPS published a final rule and amended record of decision that better protects the ecological integrity and visitor experience of Glen Canyon NRA, limiting OHVs and street-legal ATVs in the park’s most delicate areas. This came after SUWA and NPCA successfully settled and dismissed their lawsuits against the National Park Service (NPS) over off-road vehicle management in Glen Canyon NRA. The Rule did not close any park roads to all motorized vehicle use; it affects 6% (25 miles) of dirt trails (park roads) – closing them to OHVs but leaving them open to full size vehicles. More than 250 miles of park roads remain open to all types of vehicles (OHVs, full size vehicles).

Spanning southern Utah and northern Arizona, Glen Canyon NRA is cherished for its dramatic redrock landscapes, deep canyons and tall mesas, and the quiet solitude it offers as one of the nation’s most remote recreation areas. In 2021, an NPS rule expanded motorized vehicle use, ignoring the significant impacts widespread use would have on the NRA’s vegetation, wildlife, and stunningly quiet landscape. Of particular concern was the Park Service’s new authorization of OHV and street-legal ATV use in the remote and ecologically sensitive Orange Cliffs area that borders Canyonlands National Park. After years of litigation, in April 2024, NPCA, SUWA, and NPS successfully reached a settlement agreement. The settlement agreement required NPS to propose a draft rule, which has now been finalized. 

The final rule includes additional provisions to balance motorized vehicle use with other values, such as restricting use on certain park roads and expanding the quiet hours in an area where OHV use is permitted. It also reflects a commitment to responsible stewardship of natural landscapes and the park visitor experience at Glen Canyon NRA and underscores the important role of the Park Service in protecting America’s national parks. Water-based recreation on Lake Powell is not affected by this rule.

Glen Canyon NRA is also known for its nearly 1,000 miles of meandering shoreline with steep sandstone cliffs and narrow inlets. Recognizing the growing challenges posed by climate change, the rule empowers the Park Service to take proactive measures to protect Glen Canyon’s shoreline areas. With fluctuating water levels posing increasing management challenges, the Park Service will have the authority to restrict OHV and street-legal ATV access to shoreline areas as needed, protecting vulnerable natural resources. 

The greater Glen Canyon landscape is sacred to a number of Tribal Nations and encompasses several world-renowned protected areas, including Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments, and Capitol Reef and Canyonlands National Parks. 

 Background Information

• Protections for Glen Canyon at Risk Following the Passage of H.J. Res. 60 – 4.29.25
• April 2025 Advocacy Action from SUWA
• Conservation Groups Applaud New Rule to Protect Glen Canyon’s Most Delicate Areas – 1.15.25
• Conservation Groups Secure Settlement to Protect Glen Canyon, Shaping Motorized Vehicle Use Management – 4.11.24
• Blog Post from SUWA: The Past, Present, and Future of Motorized Vehicle Use in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

### 

About the National Parks Conservation Association: Since 1919, the nonpartisan National Parks Conservation Association has been the leading voice in safeguarding our national parks. NPCA and its more than 1.6 million members and supporters work together to protect and preserve our nation’s most iconic and inspirational places for future generations. For more information, visit www.npca.org. 

About the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance: The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance is a nonprofit organization with members and supporters from around the country dedicated to protecting America’s redrock wilderness. From offices in Moab, Salt Lake City, and Washington, DC, our team of professionals defends the redrock, organizes support for America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act, and stewards this world-renowned landscape. Learn more at www.suwa.org.