05/31/2026
President Trump rescinded Executive Orders 11644 (1972) and 11989 (1977) on May 29, 2026, via a new executive order titled “Removing Unnecessary and Counterproductive Restrictions on Access to Federal Lands.” This action directly affects management of off-road vehicles (ORVs) on federal public lands, and snowmobiles qualify as ORVs under the original orders because they are motorized vehicles capable of cross-country travel on snow and other terrain.
Quick Background on the Original Executive Orders
EO 11644 required federal agencies (primarily BLM, U.S. Forest Service, and others) to designate specific areas and trails where ORVs (including snowmobiles) could be used, while minimizing damage to resources, wildlife harassment, user conflicts, and impacts on natural/scenic values.
EO 11989 (which amended the first) strengthened this by authorizing immediate closures of areas or trails if ORV use was causing or likely to cause “considerable adverse effects” on soil, vegetation, wildlife, habitat, or cultural resources. It also supported a “closed unless designated open” approach in some cases.
𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙤𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙣 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙡 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙨, 𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙘𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙨/𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝙛𝙚𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨. Environmental and non-motorized recreation groups often cited them to push for limits on snowmobiling and other motorized winter use.
Potential Impacts on Snowmobiling and Access to Riding Areas
The rescission does not immediately reopen closed areas or rewrite every travel plan overnight. Instead, it directs agencies (Interior/BLM, Agriculture/USFS, etc.) to start rulemakings that rescind or revise the old implementing regulations and shift to management under existing statutes like the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA), National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and agency-specific multiple-use mandates. The administration argues that modern technology (better monitoring, mapping, etc.) and current laws make the 50-year-old criteria outdated and overly restrictive.
Likely positive effects for snowmobilers (per the administration and pro-access groups):
𝙂𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙝𝙖𝙨𝙞𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙞𝙥𝙡𝙚-𝙪𝙨𝙚 —
Future travel management plans and oversnow vehicle designations may prioritize recreational opportunities more equally alongside conservation, rather than defaulting to strict “minimization” of impacts or user conflicts.
𝙁𝙚𝙬𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙘 𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙪𝙗𝙟𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙘𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙨 —
The old “considerable adverse effects” trigger for quick closures is removed at the EO level, potentially making it harder for agencies to close riding areas solely on vague environmental or social criteria.
𝙈𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙧𝙞𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 — This could lead to expanded designated areas/trails, especially in national forests and BLM lands where most snowmobiling occurs (very relevant in Idaho near Idaho Falls, with areas like the Caribou-Targhee or Sawtooth National Forests). Pro-access organizations like the Off-Road Business Association and BlueRibbon Coalition see this as a major win for modernizing management and reducing barriers to recreation.
𝙍𝙚𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙜𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙣 — Snowmobile clubs and riders may have stronger footing in public comment periods during plan revisions.
𝙊𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙡, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨, 𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙢𝙤𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙗𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙙𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙨 𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙧𝙨.
Snowmobilers in Idaho and other Western states with large federal land holdings are likely to see the biggest long-term benefits in terms of riding areas and opportunities, assuming agencies follow through on the policy shift toward balanced multiple-use management. If you're involved with local snowmobile clubs, now would be a good time to engage in upcoming agency rulemakings and forest plan updates.
