The decades-old executive orders protected national parks and delicate ecosystems from dirt bikes, snowmobiles and ATVs.
After nearly two decades of executive orders restricting off-road vehicles on public lands, President Donald Trump has lifted the orders — a move that could allow their use in most national parks.
The Seattle Times reports: "The first executive order, signed by President Richard Nixon in 1972, established strict criteria for the use of off-road vehicles on federal lands, in an effort to minimize their environmental impact. The second, signed by President Jimmy Carter in 1977, authorized the government to immediately shut down off-road driving if it was causing ecological damage. Both orders applied to a variety of vehicles designed to drive on unpaved surfaces like dirt, sand, gravel, mud, rocks and snow. That included all-terrain vehicles, dirt bikes and snowmobiles."
The move is consistent with Trump's steady agenda of prioritizing recreation, oil and gas drilling, logging and mining on public lands and waters.
“President Trump believes the American people should be able to access and enjoy their public lands without being burdened by unnecessary and outdated regulations,” a White House fact sheet stated.
Read the full story: Trump lifts restrictions on off-road vehicles on public lands
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