CORVA is closely monitoring a significant federal policy development that could have important implications for motorized recreation and public access on federally managed lands.

Recently, President Trump issued an Executive Order rescinding several longstanding Executive Orders that have influenced federal land management policies for decades.

Of particular interest to the off-road community is the removal of requirements commonly associated with the “minimization criteria” used in Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) route designation and travel management planning.

For many years, these criteria have played a significant role in how federal agencies, including the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Forest Service, evaluate motorized routes and access opportunities. While intended to address resource concerns, the criteria have often been interpreted in highly subjective ways, resulting in route closures, access restrictions, and lengthy planning processes that have reduced public access across millions of acres of public land.

From CORVA’s perspective, this Executive Order presents an opportunity to revisit how public lands are managed and how recreation is considered within federal decision-making.

Why This Matters

For decades, off-road enthusiasts have experienced the cumulative effects of route reductions, travel management plans, litigation-driven closures, and increasingly restrictive interpretations of public land regulations.

In California alone, we have witnessed:

• The loss of thousands of miles of historic routes.
  Ongoing access challenges throughout the West Mojave (WEMO) region.
  Continued pressure on recreation opportunities across our deserts, forests, and public lands.
  Management decisions that too often prioritize exclusion over balanced multiple-use management.

CORVA supports responsible recreation, resource protection, and sustainable access. We also believe public lands should remain accessible to the public and that recreation should be recognized as a legitimate and valuable use alongside conservation, grazing, energy development, wildlife management, and other authorized uses.

What Could Change?

The removal of these Executive Orders does not automatically reopen closed trails or reverse existing travel management decisions. Federal laws, regulations, environmental review requirements, and agency planning processes remain in place.

However, this action may provide federal agencies with greater flexibility to:

• Consider public access as a priority.
  Reduce unnecessary barriers to recreation.
  Streamline future travel management planning efforts.
  Better balance conservation goals with recreational opportunities.
  Reevaluate policies that have disproportionately restricted motorized access.

CORVA’s Position

CORVA has long advocated for the principle that public lands should be managed for the people, not from the people.

We support science-based management, responsible stewardship, and meaningful conservation efforts. At the same time, we believe public access should not be treated as an afterthought or sacrificed through administrative processes that fail to adequately consider the social, economic, and recreational benefits that motorized recreation provides.

As implementation of this Executive Order unfolds, CORVA will continue working with federal agencies, elected officials, partner organizations, and recreation stakeholders to ensure the interests of California’s off-road community are represented throughout the process.

Looking Ahead

This Executive Order is not the end of the conversation—it may be the beginning of a new chapter in how public access is considered on federal lands.

CORVA will remain engaged at every level to ensure that future policy decisions support balanced multiple-use management while protecting opportunities for responsible off-highway recreation.

The work is far from over, but this development serves as a reminder of why staying involved in land-use policy matters. Decisions made in Washington, D.C. can have real-world impacts on the trails, roads, and recreation areas we enjoy throughout California.

Thank you for your continued support of CORVA and our mission to protect public land access for current and future generations.

Protecting Public Lands FOR the People, Not FROM the People.

Respectfully, 

Your Corva Board of Directors