OHV Riders Just Got a Seat at the Table — What the Bears Ears Proclamation Means
On July 13, 2026, President Trump signed proclamations modifying the Bears Ears National Monument. OHV riders and the overlanding community just got something they’ve never had before — a seat at the table.
Here’s what actually matters — and what the full picture looks like.
Bears Ears National Monument OHV — New Access Rules for Riders
The proclamation replaces the previous Bears Ears Commission with a new Monument Advisory Committee. For the first time, off-highway vehicle users are specifically named as an important stakeholder group in monument management.
The committee includes tribal representatives, local government, conservation organizations, grazing permittees, archaeologists — and outdoor recreation interests including commercial recreation providers or off-highway vehicle users.
That’s not a small thing. For years the overlanding and OHV community has been managed around, not with. This changes the structure.
Recreation Restored as a Core Objective for Bears Ears OHV Access
The proclamations restore multiple-use management principles to these lands, specifically identifying recreation — including off-road recreation — as an important use.
The underlying message: responsible motorized recreation and resource protection are not mutually exclusive. That’s something the overlanding community has been saying for a long time.
Blue Ribbon Coalition — one of the most active OHV advocacy organizations in the country — called it a win. BRC Executive Director Ben Burr said the previous monument plans “restricted huge areas to motorized recreation and other forms that still require motorized access,” and that the changes put Utah’s recreation economy in a better position.
A new transportation plan focused on access
This is the most practical win. The proclamation directs preparation of a new transportation plan that “endeavors to maximize public access” throughout the monument, designating roads and trails for both motorized and non-motorized use.
Even more significant: pending completion of that plan, the Secretary may allow public use of roads and trails that existed before the original Bears Ears proclamation and maintain those routes for continued public access.
Routes that have been closed for years could reopen. That’s a real change on the ground.
The full picture
This decision isn’t without controversy — and it’s worth being honest about that.
The proclamations reduced Bears Ears from roughly 1.36 million acres to about 121,000 acres — a 90% reduction. Grand Staircase-Escalante dropped from 1.87 million acres to approximately 182,000 acres. Combined, nearly 3 million acres were removed from monument protection.
The Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Commission — the co-management body built over years of collaborative work between five tribal nations and federal agencies — was terminated by the proclamation. The five tribal nations stated that no government-to-government consultation occurred before the decision was made. Their statement is worth reading.
Within 60 days, lands removed from both monuments will be open for mining and mineral leasing. Conservation groups and tribal organizations have called the action illegal and legal challenges are expected.
We’re speaking to the access angle here — because that’s our lane. But we’re not dismissing what was lost, and we’d encourage you to read the full picture before forming an opinion. The fight over these lands has decades of history behind it and won’t be settled by a single proclamation.
The work isn’t done
These proclamations don’t automatically reopen every road or trail. Future travel management plans and resource management decisions will still require public involvement — and legal challenges could change the picture entirely. The fight for access continues — it just got more complicated.
Watch for public comment periods on the new transportation plan — that’s where riders can directly shape what access looks like on the ground.
You can read the full Bears Ears proclamation here and the Grand Staircase-Escalante proclamation here.
Organizations doing the work on the ground: Blue Ribbon Coalition, Utah Public Lands Alliance, and Tread Lightly. Public comment periods matter. Show up.
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