The National Park Service is proposing changes to off-road vehicle regulations in Glen Canyon NRA/NPS file

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Utah and Arizona is accepting public comments through November 15 on proposed changes to the park’s 2021 off road vehicle (ORV) special regulations.

The proposed revisions are required under a settlement agreement and "would be more protective of resources by limiting the use of off-highway vehicles and street-legal ATVs in certain shoreline access areas and unpaved roads," the National Park Service said.

While the proposed rule amendment would prohibit the use of ORVs and street-legal ATVs on approximately 24 miles of roads, there are nearly 388 miles of park roads within Glen Canyon with opportunities for a diverse collection of motorized and non-motorized recreation forms, a park release said.

NPS has identified minor changes to the 2021 regulation that will result in improved management of motorized uses in the Recreation Area. Two changes would address ORV and street-legal all-terrain vehicle (ATV) use in the Orange Cliffs Special Management Unit.

• First, the amended rule would prohibit the use of ORVs and street-legal ATVs on an 8-mile segment of the Poison Spring Loop located on Route 633 proceeding north to Route 730 in the Orange Cliffs Special Management Unit.
• Second, the rule would also eliminate the superintendent’s authority to potentially allow ORVs and street-legal ATVs on the upper portion of the Flint Trail in the Orange Cliffs Special Management Unit. In addition to these changes, the proposed rule also establishes stricter quiet hours for the Lone Rock Beach Play Area, identifies specific lake elevations where Accessible Shoreline Areas will be open or closed, and clarifies that motor vehicle use in all Accessible Shoreline Areas must be for the purpose of traveling from a road to the shoreline and back. Additional proposed changes are available for review in the Federal Register.

Public comments may be submitted electronically at the Federal eRulemaking Portal; or by mailing a hard copy to: Superintendent, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, P.O. Box 1507, Page, Arizona 86040. Comments will not be accepted by fax, email, or in any way other than those specified above.

All submissions received must include the words “National Park Service” or “NPS” and must include the docket number or RIN (1024-AE91) for this rulemaking. Comments received may be posted without change to the Federal eRulmaking Portal, including any personal information provided.

The NPS will not accept bulk comments in any format (hard copy or electronic) submitted on behalf of others. The NPS will not consider comments that address aspects of existing regulations that would not be changed by this proposed rule. The scope of this rule is limited to the specific changes to existing regulations proposed, as published in the Federal Register on September 16. For additional information, including definitions of ORV use, or to obtain a copy of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)/ORV Plan, visit the Glen Canyon ORV planning page. Specific questions may be emailed to Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Headquarters at e-mail us.