Motor vehicle rule for Glen Canyon National Recreation Area wiped out by federal lawmakers

What does this do?

Congress used the Congressional Review Act to cancel a National Park Service rule that set regulations on motor vehicle use at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Utah and Arizona. The rule, published in early 2025, covered where and how people could drive off-road vehicles and operate motorized boats within the area. With the rule wiped out, the area reverts to whatever motor vehicle regulations existed before the National Park Service issued it.

Who does it affect?

Off-road vehicle users, boaters, campers, tour operators, and local communities in southern Utah and northern Arizona who rely on tourism from Glen Canyon are directly affected. National Park Service land managers must now operate without the guidance that rule would have provided.

Why does it matter?

The cancellation removes restrictions on motor vehicle and motorized boat use that the National Park Service had determined were necessary for the area. Federal managers lose a regulatory framework for overseeing vehicle access, and the area's management returns to its prior baseline rules.

Where does it stand?