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Articles: BLM
The Bears Ears recreation restrictions were real, they were written down, and almost none of them had been enforced yet. That gap is what lets groups defending the 2025 monument plan claim it never restricted recreation. See what the plan actually said about hiking, OHV, mountain bikes, camping, climbing and dogs across 1.36 million acres of public land.
Trump’s OHV executive order rescinded the Nixon and Carter orders that agencies used to close trails for 50 years. There will be no free-for-all, but the minimization criteria that shut down 2,200 miles in WEMO and 317 miles in Moab is gone. Here is how the reopening will actually play out, and where BRC needs your comments and support.
The Outdoor Americans with Disabilities Act, a bill BRC helped write to keep existing roads open, goes before a Senate committee on Wednesday, July 29. The same agenda carries wilderness bills that would permanently ban motorized use across millions of acres. Contact your senators today to support the Outdoor ADA and oppose the new designations.
A new federal recreation monitoring program under the EXPLORE Act will decide how OHV riding, dispersed camping, and snowmobiling get counted on public lands. BRC supports better data but is telling the agencies that visitation counts must never become a standalone excuse for closures or permit systems. Submit your comment before the July 29 deadline.
Recreation projects that improve access to public lands, from trail systems to OHV facilities, often sit stuck in federal permitting for years before construction can start. H.R. 9248, the Recreation Permitting Improvement Act, would fix that by giving recreation projects the same predictable timelines Congress already provides to other infrastructure, without cutting environmental review. BRC Executive Director Ben Burr testified in support of the bill on July 1. Contact your members of Congress today and tell them to support H.R. 9248.
Trump reduced two sprawling Utah national monuments, a win for the ranchers, riders, and rural communities harmed by decades of Antiquities Act overreach. BRC is pairing the reduction with legal precedent so a future administration cannot simply redraw the lines. Donate to the Legal Fund and add your voice today to help make this win last.
Oversized national monuments have locked up millions of acres of public land and set the stage for road closures, OHV restrictions, and lost access. A June 2026 court ruling in a case BRC helped bring confirmed these designations can now be challenged and reduced. Take action today and tell Congress, the Administration, and the courts to bring these boundaries back in line with the law.
The BLM has released preliminary alternatives for the Dolores River Travel Management Plan, covering 321 miles of routes just east of Moab. BRC supports a variation of Alternative D, the option that keeps 98% of the network open for OHV riders, hunters, and mountain bikers.
Nearly 700 miles of OHV, hunting, and backcountry access near Dinosaur National Monument are on the table in the BLM’s Dinosaur North plan, and the conservation alternative would close most of it. BRC backs Alternative D to keep these routes open for Vernal and Roosevelt communities. Add your comment before July 22 and tell the BLM to keep this access open.
The BLM’s Trail Canyon Travel Management Plan near Kanab will decide the future of 473 miles of OHV routes in Kane County, and the most restrictive option closes nearly a third of the network. BRC supports a variation of Alternative D, which keeps 95% of trails open. Submit your comment to the BLM before July 22 and tell them motorized access must stay open.