Removing Unnecessary and Counterproductive Restrictions on Access to Federal Lands
- Executive Order Number
- 14408
- President
- Donald Trump
- Signed
- May 29, 2026
- Published
- June 3, 2026
- Source
- Federal Register
- Original Document
- https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-06-03/pdf/2026-11181.pdf
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose This executive order rescinds two 1970s executive orders governing off-road vehicle (ORV) use on federal lands. It replaces their vague, non-statutory criteria with the existing framework of modern environmental and land-management statutes to expand public access, recreational opportunities, and multiple-use benefits while reducing regulatory barriers.
Key Actions or Directives
- Rescinds Executive Order 11644 (1972) and Executive Order 11989 (1977) in full.
- Directs the Secretary of the Interior, Secretary of Agriculture, Secretary of War, Tennessee Valley Authority, and other relevant agencies to initiate rulemakings to rescind or revise all regulations implementing the rescinded orders.
- States that designations for ORV use will henceforth be managed solely under current statutory authorities (National Historic Preservation Act, NEPA, Endangered Species Act, Federal Land Policy and Management Act, and agency-specific land-management laws).
Significant Changes to Policy or Law
- Eliminates the prior requirement that ORV designations meet specific, subjective criteria (e.g., minimizing wildlife harassment, user conflicts, or adverse effects on natural/aesthetic values).
- Shifts ORV management to a statutory-based system without the additional layer of 1970s-era executive criteria, explicitly aiming to facilitate greater access for energy, timber, utility, and recreational uses.
Potential Impacts
- Government agencies: Requires Interior, Agriculture, and other land-management agencies to revise or repeal existing ORV regulations, potentially streamlining permitting and reducing administrative burdens.
- Citizens and land users: Intended to increase recreational access (including ORV, hiking, and other remote-area uses) and support energy and timber production on federal lands.
- No direct effects on international relations are addressed.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Federal land-management agencies (Interior, Agriculture, TVA, etc.).
- ORV users, hikers, energy producers, timber interests, and other multiple-use beneficiaries of public lands.
- American citizens seeking expanded access to federal lands.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Exercises presidential authority to rescind prior executive orders and direct agency rulemaking.
- Asserts that existing statutes already provide sufficient environmental protections, rendering the older ORV-specific criteria unnecessary.
- Standard severability and appropriations clauses preserve agency discretion and limit private enforceability of the order.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.