Trump Removes Restrictions on Federal Land Access

RESCINDING OUTDATED AND BURDENSOME EXECUTIVE ORDERS: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order rescinding outdated restrictions on access to Federal lands, restoring balanced land management and reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens.

• The Order rescinds Executive Order 11644 and Executive Order 11989, which together required agency heads to manage off-road vehicle use on public lands under a set of subjective criteria.
• These subjective criteria were difficult for agencies to operationalize in practice because they were so vague. For example, the criteria included preventing adverse effects on natural, aesthetic, or scenic values and minimizing conflicts between off-road vehicles and other existing or proposed recreational uses.
• The Order directs relevant Federal agencies to rescind or revise the regulations that were adopted to implement the now-rescinded Executive Orders.

REIGNING IN GOVERNMENT OVERREACH: President Trump believes the American people should be able to access and enjoy their public lands without being burdened by unnecessary and outdated regulations.

• Executive Orders 11644 and 11989 were issued roughly 50 years ago, before modern technologies could be paired with our comprehensive statutory land management framework. The latest mapping technologies, paired with today's recissions, will allow for off-road vehicle use designations that provide more access, recreational opportunities, and greater benefits to the public.
• The vague and subjective standards imposed by these prior Executive Orders have created unnecessary barriers to recreation, energy and timber production, access to remote areas, and infrastructure maintenance.
  • The "minimization criteria" promulgated under the now-rescinded Executive Orders have adversely impacted rural economies, permitting, tourism, American manufacturing, organized motorsports, volunteer stewardship efforts, and public confidence in Federal land access planning.
• Federal environmental and land management laws now provide agencies with the appropriate tools to manage Federal lands while maintaining sufficient environmental protections without the need for these criteria.
• The recission will 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.

RESTORING BALANCED LAND MANAGEMENT: President Trump is restoring access to Federal land for multiple uses and streamlining resource development by reducing needless regulatory hurdles.

• During President Trump's first term, he signed the Great American Outdoors Act-the single largest investment in America's national parks and public lands in history and the most significant conservation achievement since Teddy Roosevelt's presidency.
  • His Administration also designated 1.3 million new acres of wilderness, added 1,645 miles of new trails to the National Recreational Trails System, and expanded hunting and fishing opportunities across more than 2.3 million acres of land by the end of his first term.
• Immediately upon returning to office, President Trump signed an Executive Order to Unleash American Energy that opened hundreds of millions of acres Federal lands and waters to energy development and streamlined permitting to increase production of reliable and affordable energy.
• In February 2025, President Trump's Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) rescinded its NEPA regulations, clearing the way for CEQ to lead individual agencies as they reformed their own NEPA policies to eliminate unnecessary red tape and speed environmental review for permits and other government actions.
• In July 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order establishing the Make America Beautiful Again (MABA) Commission to conserve America's lands and waters, cut red tape, and drive conservation and economic growth.
• President Trump's Department of Agriculture took action to rescind the 2001 Roadless Rule that prevents road construction, reconstruction, and timber harvest on nearly 45 million acres of the National Forest System.
• President Trump's Department of the Interior rescinded the BLM's Public Lands Rule, reaffirming the commitment to restoring balance in Federal land management by prioritizing multiple use access, elevating local decision-making, and supporting responsible energy development, ranching, grazing, timber production, and recreation.