PAGE, Ariz. — Glen Canyon National Recreation Area has finalized regulations related to the use of off-road vehicles in the recreation area.

According to a press release from the National Park Service, the final regulations were published in the Federal Register Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR) and became effective Tuesday.

“National Recreation Areas provide unique opportunities for people to enjoy America’s public lands in a wide variety of ways,” Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Superintendent William Shott said in the press release. “Our intent with these regulations is to provide access for people seeking exploration and fun with off-road vehicles while promoting safety and ensuring protection of the cultural resources, plants and animals that make Glen Canyon so special.”

“We appreciate the extensive collaboration with our partners and the public,” Shott continued, “which helped us successfully achieve the right balance of use and preservation.”

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area is increasing recreational access in the following ways:

• Authorizing street-legal ORV use on most paved and unpaved park roads in the park.
• Permitting access to 14 accessible shorelines, including Lone Rock Beach and Play Area.
• Formalizing 21 miles of user-created routes as official ORV routes.

The press release states that the plan promotes visitor safety and resource protection by doing the following:

• Creating a permitting system for most off-road use and collecting fees to fund relevant education, partnership, enforcement, monitoring and mitigation efforts
• Closing certain trails in ecologically sensitive areas and during certain times of the year
• Requiring users to display a safety flag in certain high-use areas of the park and establishing speed limits for all vehicles on unpaved roads

Federal law requires any unit of the National Park Service allowing ORV use to develop special regulations addressing that use. The proposed regulations were published in the Federal Register on Feb. 27, 2018, and were available for public comment through April 30, 2018. The park received more than 6,000 public comments, which informed the final special regulations published in the Federal Register.

Throughout the planning process, the National Park Service consulted with cooperating agencies, elected officials, tribes and the Arizona and Utah State Historic Preservation Officers. The park service also invited public comment while evaluating the draft environmental impact statement (released in January 2014) and the final environmental impact statement (released in January 2017).

For additional information about the plan or to obtain a copy, click here.  Information about ORV use at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area will also be available at the Glen Canyon off-road vehicles webpage.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2021, all rights reserved.