Legislation to save Southwestern trails passes House and Senate
A joint resolution to prevent the National Park Service from closing 25 miles of existing designated off-highway vehicle trails and routes in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area passed the U.S. House and Senate and is now waiting to be signed into law by President Trump.
The MIC, Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association, and Specialty Vehicle Institute of America all supported H.J. Res.60 — introduced by Utah Rep Celeste Maloy — and highlighted the need to pass the legislation during MIC’s April powersports Capitol Hill fly-in.
“The Park Service moved to close these natural-surface routes despite no demonstrated need,” — Duane Taylor, MIC director of safe and responsible use programs.
“Further, the routes provide access to recreation opportunities on nearby lands overseen by the Bureau of Land Management. Not only were the 25 miles of trails in danger, but critical linkage to other routes as well. We thank Representative Maloy and Utah senators John Curtis and Mike Lee, who introduced companion legislation in the U.S. Senate.”
The Glen Canyon National Recreation Area was established by Congress in 1972 “to provide for the public outdoor recreation use and enjoyment of Lake Powell and lands adjacent thereto in the states of Arizona and Utah and to preserve the scenic, scientific, and historic features contributing to the public enjoyment of the area.”
“I introduced this resolution to ensure Glen Canyon Recreation Area is managed for multiple uses, including recreation, as Congress directed,” Representative Maloy says in a news release.
Glen Canyon’s regulations for off-road vehicles can be very specific. This video explains the plan, which vehicles are permitted to do what, and the different areas and roads they are permitted to go.
