Removing Unnecessary and Counterproductive Restrictions on Access to Federal Lands
This Presidential Action, issued on May 29, 2026, revokes Executive Order 11644 and Executive Order 11989, which previously governed the designation of off-road vehicle use on public lands.
The President determined that these 50-year-old orders imposed unnecessary burdens and vague criteria inefficiently, and that existing comprehensive statutory authorities provide a superior framework for managing Federal lands.
The action directs relevant agency heads to initiate rulemaking to rescind or revise regulations implementing the revoked orders, aiming to increase public access, recreational opportunities, and restore balanced land management by replacing subjective standards with statutorily grounded rules.
Arguments For
The action modernizes Federal land management by removing outmoded regulations (EO 11644 and 11989) that were established without consideration for current technology.
It simplifies compliance for agencies by relying on comprehensive existing statutory frameworks, such as the National Environmental Policy Act and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, rather than vague criteria.
The action restores balanced land management by eliminating subjective criteria that often resulted in barriers to energy and timber production, utility maintenance, and general public access to remote areas.
It is intended to increase public access to Federal lands, promote greater recreational opportunities, and ensure equality of access for all users by removing arbitrary standards.
Arguments Against
Rescinding the executive orders removes specific criteria designed to minimize harassment of wildlife and disruption of habitats, potentially leading to adverse environmental impacts.
The subjective criteria being removed were intended to protect the natural, aesthetic, and scenic values of Federal lands, and replacing them with broader statutes might weaken environmental safeguards.
Concerns exist that removing these specific designation rules will lead to increased conflicts between different user groups on Federal lands, including recreational users and industry.
The statutory authorities replacing the EO criteria might not be sufficient to address specific localized issues related to off-road vehicle use that the prior executive orders specifically targeted.
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
The President asserts the constitutional and legal authority to issue this directive to the executive branch.
Section 1. Purpose. My Administration has eliminated a record number of unnecessary regulations to further our Nation’s prosperity and reduce regulatory burdens on industries critical to our national and economic security while keeping sufficient environmental protections in place. Executive Order 11644 of February 8, 1972 (Use of Off-Road Vehicles on the Public Lands), and Executive Order 11989 of May 24, 1977 (Off-Road Vehicles on Public Lands), are examples of this excessive regulation. Both were issued about 50 years ago when today’s technology was not available to be paired with existing Federal statutes.
This section establishes the order's purpose: to eliminate regulations deemed unnecessary to support national prosperity and reduce burdens on key industries, citing Executive Orders 11644 and 11989 concerning off-road vehicles as examples of outdated regulation no longer suitable given current technology.
The Congress has enacted or amended a comprehensive set of statutory authorities to establish Federal land policy, including the National Historic Preservation Act, Public Law 89‑665, 80 Stat. 915 (1966) (codified as amended at 54 U.S.C. 300101 et seq.), the National Environmental Policy Act, Public Law 91-190, 83 Stat. 852 (1970) (codified as amended at 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the Endangered Species Act, Public Law 93-205, 87 Stat. 884 (1973) (codified as amended at 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, Public Law 94-579, 90 Stat. 2743 (1976) (codified as amended at 43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.). I have determined that those statutory authorities, together with executive department and agency (agency) specific land management authorities, provide the appropriate framework for managing off-road vehicle use on Federal lands without retaining the additional specific designation criteria imposed by Executive Order 11644 and Executive Order 11989. I have further determined that technological, operational, and land-management developments since the issuance of Executive Order 11644 and Executive Order 11989 support replacing those specific criteria with a framework grounded in applicable statutory authorities.
The President indicates that comprehensive existing laws, such as the National Historic Preservation Act and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, already provide an adequate framework for managing off-road vehicle use on Federal lands.
Therefore, the specific designation criteria previously established by the two older Executive Orders are unnecessary and should be replaced by rules based on these broader statutory authorities, supported by advancements in technology and land management practices.
Executive Order 11644 and Executive Order 11989 direct agencies to promulgate regulations providing that, where off-road vehicle use is permitted on Federal lands, roads, and trails, such use designations must be made in accordance with ill-defined criteria purportedly intended to minimize resource impacts and conflicts between different users of Federal land. These criteria, which are not required by statute, are difficult for agencies to operationalize due to vagueness, and include “minimiz[ing] harassment of wildlife or significant disruption of wildlife habitats,” minimizing “conflicts between off-road vehicle use and other existing or proposed recreational uses . . . taking into account noise and other factors,” and ensuring that off-road vehicle use in given locations will not “adversely affect [the location’s] natural, aesthetic, or scenic values.” These vague, subjective criteria often result in barriers to energy and timber production and utility maintenance, permit delays, and de facto bans on hiking and other forms of recreation that require accessing remote areas, all while doing little to benefit multiple use of Federal lands.
The older executive orders required agencies to use criteria for designating areas where off-road vehicles could operate.
The President argues these criteria were vaguely defined, not statutorily mandated, and hard for agencies to implement.
The specific subjective standards mentioned—like minimizing wildlife harassment or protecting scenic values—are claimed to have led to problems like production delays, permit slowdowns, and restricting access for other recreation, without ultimately benefiting the multiple-use goals for the land.
Access to Federal lands benefits all American citizens. Rescinding Executive Order 11644 and Executive Order 11989 would facilitate the replacement of current regulations with a system for off-road vehicle use designation that provides more access, recreational opportunities, and greater multiple use benefits to the public. It would also restore balanced land management by eliminating ill-defined and arbitrary environmental and social standards, thereby ensuring that all public land users will be granted access on equal terms.
Granting access to Federal lands benefits citizens generally.
Revoking the two Executive Orders is expected to allow for new rules that increase public access, enhance recreational options, and improve how the land is managed for multiple uses.
This move is intended to remove environmental and social standards considered arbitrary to ensure all land users receive equal access opportunities.
Sec. 2. Rescinding Certain Prior Executive Orders. Executive Order 11644 and Executive Order 11989 are hereby rescinded. The Secretary of War, the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority, and the head of any other relevant agency shall initiate rulemakings to rescind or revise the regulations previously adopted to implement those Executive Orders.
This section formally cancels Executive Order 11644 and Executive Order 11989.
It also mandates that the heads of the Secretaries of Defense (referred to as War), Interior, Agriculture, the Tennessee Valley Authority, and any other involved agency must begin the process of writing new rules to replace regulations created under the rescinded orders.
Sec. 3. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
(d) The costs for publication of this order shall be borne by the Department of the Interior.
Section 3 outlines general provisions.
Paragraph (a) clarifies that the action does not negatively affect the legal authority of any executive department or the budget/legislative functions of the Office of Management and Budget.
Paragraph (b) states that implementation must follow current law and appropriation funding.
Paragraph (c) specifies that the order does not create any new enforceable legal rights for any party.
Finally, paragraph (d) assigns the publication costs of this order to the Department of the Interior.
DONALD J. TRUMP
THE WHITE HOUSE,
May 29, 2026.
This confirms the action was taken by President Donald J. Trump from the White House on May 29, 2026.
The post Removing Unnecessary and Counterproductive Restrictions on Access to Federal Lands appeared first on The White House.
This is website attribution information, indicating the official title and source of the post.
Related
Approving Critical Position Pay Authority for National Security Investment Workforce
* The President approved critical position pay authority for up to 400 federal positions to support national security investment programs, enabling salaries up to $400,000 to secure expert talent in critical minerals and supply chains.
Read MoreNominations Sent to the Senate
* The President transmitted two nominations—Charles Baldis for Special Counsel and Jules Hurst III for Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)—to the Senate for their confirmation proceedings.
Read MoreRestoring Integrity to America’s Financial System
* Directed federal regulators to issue advisories and propose amendments to the Bank Secrecy Act to strengthen customer due diligence against illicit finance and mandated consideration of immigration-related risks in consumer credit underwriting.
Read MoreNominations and Withdrawal Sent to the Senate
The President transmitted multiple nominations for various government roles to the Senate and formally withdrew one previous nomination.
Read More