RESCINDING OUTDATED AND BURDENSOME EXECUTIVE ORDERS: President Donald J. Trump has signed an Executive Order to remove outdated restrictions on accessing Federal lands, aiming to restore balanced land management and reduce regulatory burdens.
- This Order revokes Executive Order 11644 and Executive Order 11989, which had mandated agency heads to oversee off-road vehicle use on public lands based on subjective criteria.
- These criteria were challenging for agencies to implement due to their vagueness. For instance, they included preventing negative impacts on natural, aesthetic, or scenic values and minimizing conflicts between off-road vehicles and other recreational uses.
- The Order instructs relevant Federal agencies to repeal or modify the regulations that were put in place to enforce the now-rescinded Executive Orders.
REINING IN GOVERNMENT OVERREACH: President Trump asserts that Americans should have the freedom to access and enjoy public lands without being hindered by outdated and unnecessary regulations.
- Executive Orders 11644 and 11989 were issued about 50 years ago, long before modern technologies could be integrated with today’s comprehensive statutory land management framework. The latest mapping technologies, along with these rescissions, will facilitate off-road vehicle use designations that offer increased access, recreational opportunities, and public benefits.
- The vague standards set by the previous Executive Orders have unnecessarily impeded recreation, energy and timber production, access to remote areas, and infrastructure maintenance.
- The “minimization criteria” from the rescinded Executive Orders have negatively affected rural economies, permitting processes, tourism, American manufacturing, organized motorsports, volunteer stewardship initiatives, and public trust in Federal land access planning.
- Current federal environmental and land management laws now provide agencies with adequate tools to manage Federal lands while ensuring environmental protections, rendering these criteria unnecessary.
- The rescission aims to restore balanced land management by removing vague environmental and social standards, ensuring equal access for all public land users.
RESTORING BALANCED LAND MANAGEMENT: President Trump is working to enhance access to Federal land for various uses and streamline resource development by cutting unnecessary regulatory obstacles.
- During his first term, President Trump signed the Great American Outdoors Act, marking the largest investment in America’s national parks and public lands in history and the most significant conservation achievement since Teddy Roosevelt.
- His Administration also designated 1.3 million new acres of wilderness, added 1,645 miles of trails to the National Recreational Trails System, and expanded hunting and fishing opportunities on over 2.3 million acres by the end of his first term.
- Upon returning to office, President Trump signed an Executive Order to Unleash American Energy, opening hundreds of millions of acres of Federal lands and waters to energy development and streamlining permitting to boost the production of reliable and affordable energy.
- In February 2025, President Trump’s Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) rescinded its NEPA regulations, enabling CEQ to guide individual agencies in reforming their NEPA policies to remove unnecessary red tape and expedite environmental reviews 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, reduce bureaucracy, and promote conservation and economic growth.
- The Department of Agriculture under President Trump rescinded the 2001 Roadless Rule, which restricted road construction, reconstruction, and timber harvesting on nearly 45 million acres of the National Forest System.
- The Department of the Interior revoked the BLM’s Public Lands Rule, reaffirming a commitment to balanced Federal land management by prioritizing multiple-use access, enhancing local decision-making, and supporting responsible energy development, ranching, grazing, timber production, and recreation.
