Trump Administration Rescinds Two Executive Orders, Prioritizing Motorized Access at the Expense of Public Lands
The Trump administration has rescinded two longstanding executive orders that guide federal agencies’ management of off-road and over-snow vehicle use on public lands.
June 1, 2026 – On May 29, 2026, the Trump administration rescinded two longstanding executive orders that for decades have guided how federal agencies manage off-road and over-snow vehicle use on public lands. By eliminating Executive Orders 11644 and 11989, the administration removed foundational directives requiring agencies to minimize environmental damage, protect wildlife habitat, and reduce conflicts between motorized and non-motorized recreation. The move signals a significant shift in federal public lands policy—one that prioritizes motorized access while raising questions about the future of conservation, recreation planning, and the management of America’s shared outdoor spaces.
On the evening of Friday, May 29, 2026, President Trump rescinded two decades-old executive orders: EO 11644 and EO 11989. Established in 1972 and 1977, respectively, these executive orders were intended to manage off-road vehicle use in ways that minimize ecological damage from off-road and over-snow vehicle use and reduce user conflict. These EO’s were the underpinnings for the Travel Management Rule.
The White House described EO 11644 and 11989 as “outdated and burdensome” and further directed federal land management agencies, including the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management, to rescind or revise their regulations implementing these EOs.
“The intent of these EOs was to minimize environmental damage and reduce conflict from motorized vehicle use on public lands,” said Anneka Williams, WWA Policy Director. “They were established in the 1970s in response to widespread and increasing off-road vehicle use on public lands. The same problems from motorized use still exist today, and losing these EOs will have lasting consequences for decades to come.”
The executive orders apply to off-road vehicles (ORV) use on public lands, which includes dirt bikes, snowmobiles, ATVs, and other ORV and over-snow vehicles (OSVs). The executive orders require that, when designating areas of trail available for ORV use, federal agencies locate them to:
minimize damage to soil, watershed, vegetation, and other resources of public lands;
minimize harassment of wildlife or significant disruption of wildlife habitats; and
minimize conflicts between off-road vehicle use and other existing or proposed recreation uses of the same or neighboring public lands
Since its founding, Winter Wildlands Alliance has been involved in travel management planning, which historically has been underpinned by the minimization criteria laid out by EO 11644 and EO 11989. Following the rescission of these EOs and the Trump administration’s ongoing deregulatory agenda, the future of the travel management rule is uncertain. But whatever happens, the rescission of clear guidance that intends to minimize motorized vehicle impacts is a major loss. Stay tuned for more updated on what comes next.
