Glen Canyon NRA ORV Plan
The National Park Service is conducting "public alternatives scoping" for an Environmental Impact Statement to assess the management of off-road motor vehicle (ORV) use at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (GCNRA). The ORV Vehicle Management Plan / Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will evaluate a range of alternatives associated with recreational ORV use at Glen Canyon and their environmental impacts.
ORVs now have access to major portions of GCNRA. ORVs had long been prohibited on GCNRA roads, because of safety, noise, and environmental issues. In 2008, Utah changed the law to create "street legal ATVs" (another name for ORVs). By this new definition, ORVs now have to be allowed on GCNRA's 300 miles of unpaved, backcountry roads under the existing management plan. ORVs also have off-road access to a number of areas. This includes at the high-intensity Lone Rock Beach "Play Area," and in 12 other areas where they are allowed to leave the designated road and drive to Lake Powell reservoir's shoreline.
Public alternatives scoping is an integral step of the environmental planning process. Public scoping is used to identify any other possible alternatives, issues and areas of public interest that may require specific analysis in the environmental planning process. Public scoping is an opportunity for the public to provide their suggestions, comments, and ideas regarding ORV management at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.
- GCNRA has outstanding natural, historic, and wilderness values that could be damaged by ORV use.
- GCNRA's current ORV access rules are inconsistent with other nearby national parks and monuments. Canyonlands and Capitol Reef National Parks prohibit the use of ORVs and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument restricts ORVs to a few routes.
- There is no need for GCNRA to provide ORV access. Lake Powell reservoir is very accessible via the GCNRA road system, and is surrounded by millions of acres of lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management, most of which are open to ORV use.
- The National Park Service has a legal mandate to protect GCNRA from the impacts of ORV use. This includes the 1916 National Park Service Organic Act, the 1972 Glen Canyon National Recreation Area establishment act, and Executive Order No. 11644 of 1972.
- The GCNRA EIS should either ban ORV access altogether, or greatly reduce access from current levels.
The initial public commenting period has already past. However, you can receive alerts about future notices and comment periods by signing up to receive our e-newsletter. There will be important opportunities for commenting on the proposed plan in the future.