According to a report from National Parks Traveler, measures to open areas of Capitol Reef National Park in Utah to OHV use, to rename Mount McKinley in Denali National Park in Alaska as Denali, to block Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida from any wilderness designations, and to ensure the maintenance of a herd of horses in Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota are among proposed legislation to be considered Tuesday, Dec. 9 by a U.S. Senate committee.
How many of the more than two dozen measures are taken up by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources National Parks Subcommittee remains to be seen, as some were proposed by Democrats and the committee is controlled by the GOP.
For instance, will the senators consider a measure calling for the reduction of disposable products in the parks, another that asks that the boundary of Santa Monica National Recreation Area in California be expanded to include the Rim of the Valley Corridor, or one that directs the Interior secretary to study the suitability and feasibility of establishing the African Burial Ground International Memorial Museum and Educational Center at the African Burial Ground National Monument?
One measure almost surely to get consideration is one that was introduced back in October by Sens. Mike Lee and John Curtis, both Republicans from Utah. It calls for increased off-highway vehicle (OHV) access at Capitol Reef National Park to “ensure that Americans with disabilities can access and enjoy the nation’s public lands.”
The legislation if approved by Congress would apply to the Burr Trail Road, Cathedral Road, Hartnet Road, Highway 24, Notom Bullfrog Road, Polk Creek Road, Oil Well Bench Road, Baker Ranch Road, South Desert Overlook Road, Temple of the Sun and Moon Road, Gypsum Sinkhole Road, and Sulphur Creek Road.
When the measure was introduced in October, Lee said that the “mountains, canyons, and forests managed by the federal government are part of our shared heritage, and access to them should not depend on whether someone can hike ten miles or climb a ridge. This bill ensures that Americans with disabilities have the same chance to experience the beauty of our country as everyone else.”
But opponents say the affected routes are currently closed to ORV use to protect cultural and natural resources and the visitor experience.
Capitol Reef, Arches, and Canyonlands national parks, as well as Hovenweep and Natural Bridges national monuments, have had a prohibition against OHV use since 2019 at least. Kate Cannon, who then oversaw those units, wrote a memorandum to the parks’ managers that the “addition of off-road vehicle traffic on park roads will inevitably result in injury and damage to park resources.”
“These specialized vehicles are designed and marketed for the purpose of off-road travel, and they are uniquely capable of easily leaving the road and traveling cross-country,” she continued. “No reasonable level of law enforcement presence would be sufficient to prevent ATV and OHV use off roads. Park rangers will have no ability to pursue and apprehend vehicle users off-road without adding to the damage they cause to park resources.”
Click here to read the full report from National Parks Traveler, including a list measures scheduled to be considered by the committee.
