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Urge Your Senators to Vote NO on S.J. Res. 30
Contact your Senators and urge them to vote NO on S.J. Res. 30, which revoke a NPS rule protecting GCNRA’s most delicate areas from off-road vehicles.
| On Tuesday, May 6, the Senate is set to debate on S.J. Resolution 30 which revokes a National Park Service (NPS) rule protecting delicate areas in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (GCNRA) from off-road vehicles. This week, the Senate will vote on this joint resolution and determine the future of Glen Canyon. We urgently need your help to defend against this effort. Senator John Curtis (R-UT) and Representative Celeste Maloy (R-UT) have introduced legislation reversing an important NPS rule that governs motorized vehicles in Glen Canyon’s most remote and ecologically sensitive terrain. Please contact your senators and urge them to vote NO on S.J. Res. 30. Background on the NPS rule: In January 2025, the NPS published a final ruling for off-road vehicles in GCNRA, restricting off-highway vehicles (OHVs) and street-legal all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) on approximately 24 miles of park roads. The affected areas included the Orange Cliffs, Gunsight Butte, and the Maze District of Canyonlands National Park, as well as along the fluctuating shoreline of Lake Powell reservoir. Not only did the rule protect fragile ecosystems from off-road vehicle damage, but it also equipped the Park Service to properly manage this rapidly changing landscape. The rule struck a balanced approach between conservation and recreation, providing protection for sensitive areas while still allowing 388 miles of park roads within Glen Canyon to remain open for a diverse collection of motorized and non-motorized recreation opportunities. The 2025 NPS rule was the result of a significant legal victory. In 2021, the NPS released a management plan that expanded the use of ORVs across GCNRA, including in the Orange Cliffs area. As a result, in 2023, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance and the National Parks Conservation Association sued the agency, arguing that the plan threatened to degrade and permanently damage lands across Glen Canyon. Over the past year, the organizations entered into a settlement agreement that resulted in the 2025 final ruling. Why this matters: Maloy and Curtis’ resolution seeks to overturn the NPS rule using the Congressional Review Act. If enacted, S.J. Res. 30 would jeopardize the fragile recovery of ecosystems now beginning to return to Glen Canyon and allow for noisy and destructive vehicles in some of the Colorado Plateau’s most remote places. It would also set a concerning precedent of undermining thoughtful NPS management, preventing future rules that are “substantially similar” in Utah and beyond. As an ever-evolving landscape, GCNRA needs an equally-responsive management system. Instead, this regressive ruling strips the agency from the ability to implement adaptive and common-sense protections. Contact your Senators: As soon as you have the time, please take 5-10 minutes to contact your Senators and speak up in defense of Glen Canyon. Urge them to vote NO on this reckless attempt to strip away hard-won protections for Glen Canyon. We have attached a sample script below that you can use to call your senators or adapt as an email. Find your senator’s phone number on the Senate’s contact website and urge them to protect Glen Canyon! Please reach out to us if you have any questions. |
“Hello,
My name is [YOUR NAME] and I am a constituent from [YOUR STATE]. I am calling with an urgent request regarding Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.
This week, the Senate is set to vote on Joint Resolution 30, which seeks to revoke the 2025 National Park Service rule governing off-road vehicle use in Glen Canyon.
Glen Canyon sits at the heart of the Colorado Plateau, a landscape with stunning sandstone canyons and essential riparian ecosystems. [INCLUDE PERSONAL CONNECTION TO GLEN CANYON.] The National Park Service rule is particularly important for managing the rapidly fluctuating shorelines of Lake Powell reservoir as well as the Orange Cliffs area, which neighbors Canyonlands National Park. The rule is a balanced approach to conservation and recreation, protecting some of Glen Canyon’s most sensitive and scenic places from off-highway vehicles while still allowing for motorized and non-motorized recreation on designated routes.
Therefore, I strongly encourage Senator [YOUR SENATOR’S LAST NAME] to vote NO on S.J. Resolution 30.
If Congress passes this joint resolution, the National Park Service ruling cannot go into effect and they will be prohibited from issuing a new rule that is “substantially similar.” This will undermine the agency’s ability to appropriately manage Glen Canyon, further limiting the park’s capacity to proactively confront this landscape’s unique management challenges. S.J. Resolution 30 jeopardizes current protections for Glen Canyon and sets a dangerous precedent for public lands across the country.
For the sake of protecting Glen Canyon and all of our public lands, thank you for taking my call and for relaying this urgent message to Senator [YOUR SENATOR’S LAST NAME] about my strong opposition to S.J. Resolution 30.
Thank you for your time.”
