Public Land Access 2026: The Outdoor ADA Bill Breakdown

Public Land Access in 2026: What the Outdoor ADA Bill Means for Trails

If you've been paying attention to public land news out of Utah and Colorado, you've probably noticed that the BLM has closed nearly 1,300 miles of roads across two major travel management areas in the past year.

For the off-road community, these closures represent a significant shift in how federal agencies manage motorized access.

Now there's legislation on the table that could change the equation. On October 5, 2025, Utah Senators Mike Lee and John Curtis introduced the "Outdoor Americans with Disabilities Act" (S.2968). The bill would establish minimum road density requirements on federal lands and restrict agencies from closing routes below those thresholds.

The bill has supporters and critics with strong opinions on both sides. Here at Goats Trail, we want to take a closer look at what's in the legislation and what it could mean for trail access going forward.

Key Takeaways

• The Bill's Core Requirement: Federal land managers would need to maintain at least 2.5 miles of motorized routes per square mile to qualify as "disability-accessible land." Roads couldn't be closed if doing so would drop an area below this threshold.

• Recent Closures in Utah: The BLM finalized plans to close 665 miles in the San Rafael Swell (December 2024) and 612 miles in the Henry Mountains (January 2025) – nearly 1,300 miles total in just over a month.

• More Plans Coming: Additional travel management plans are progressing through 2028, affecting over 6 million acres across Utah. The Labyrinth Rims/Gemini Bridges plan near Moab closed comments in October 2025.

• NEPA Exemption: The bill would categorically exempt road closures and route designations from review under the National Environmental Policy Act, significantly accelerating decision timelines.

• Local Coordination Required: Agencies would be required to coordinate with state, county, local, and Tribal governments before closing roads, giving local stakeholders formal input in the process.

• Exclusions Apply: The bill would not apply to designated Wilderness areas, Inventoried Roadless Areas, National Parks, or National Recreation Areas.

• Divided Response: Disabled-veterans groups and motorized-recreation organizations support the bill. Conservation groups and some disability rights advocates oppose it, calling it a "Trojan Horse" for expanded motorized access.

What’s In S.2968?

The Outdoor Americans with Disabilities Act centers on a specific formula: 2.5 miles of authorized motorized routes per square mile equals "disability-accessible land." 

This ratio would become a statutory baseline that the Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service must maintain across public lands they manage.

To put that in practical terms: a 100-square-mile area would need at least 250 miles of motorized-accessible roads to meet the standard. 

If current inventory shows only 200 miles, the agency couldn't close additional routes without falling below the threshold – regardless of other resource management concerns.

The only exceptions would be emergencies or "significant safety threats"—language that isn't defined in the bill text, which could create interpretive disputes down the road.

Agency Requirements

Beyond the road density threshold, the bill would impose several obligations on land management agencies. 

They'd be required to prioritize travel management plan updates specifically to maintain motorized access. When designating roads, they'd need to coordinate with state, county, local, and Tribal governments to identify which routes "provide the best recreation opportunities."

When agencies can legally close roads (because accessibility thresholds are maintained elsewhere), they'd still need to provide public notice, comment periods, and public hearings. They'd also need to pair closures with replacement routes to maintain equivalent access.

The NEPA Question

One of the bill's most significant provisions would categorically exempt road closures and route designations from review under the National Environmental Policy Act. 

This means agencies wouldn't conduct Environmental Assessments or Environmental Impact Statements analyzing environmental consequences before making these decisions.

Supporters argue this removes the "bureaucratic backlog" that delays management decisions for years. Critics say that it eliminates crucial safeguards and opportunities for public input.

What's Excluded from S.2968?

The bill wouldn't apply everywhere. 

Congressionally designated Wilderness areas, Inventoried Roadless Areas, National Parks, National Recreation Areas, and designated primitive areas would all be excluded. 

The legislation specifically targets BLM and Forest Service multiple-use lands – the areas where motorized access battles actually occur.

What's Happening in Utah and Colorado?

The current wave of travel management planning in Utah stems from a January 2017 settlement agreement between the BLM and the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA). 

SUWA had sued over six resource management plans finalized in 2008, alleging they failed to comply with federal laws protecting archaeological sites and failed to minimize off-road vehicle impacts on natural and cultural resources.

A federal court agreed, finding the BLM violated legal requirements. The settlement requires the BLM to complete 11 new travel management plans by 2025, covering more than 6 million acres across eastern and southern Utah.

Recent Closures

Two major plans have been finalized in the past year. 

The San Rafael Swell plan, finalized December 31, 2024, closed 665 miles of roads and classified an additional 141 miles as "OHV-limited" with restrictions on vehicle types, seasons, or usage. 

Just weeks later, on January 17, 2025, the Henry Mountains/Fremont Gorge plan closed 612 miles of roads.

Additional plans are still in process. The Labyrinth Rims/Gemini Bridges plan near Moab closed its comment period in October 2025. The Nine Mile plan is expected to be finalized in April 2028. Multiple additional areas will be addressed through 2028, affecting millions of additional acres.

Colorado faces similar pressures. In December 2025, the BLM released a draft travel management plan for the Grand Junction area proposing to close over 300,000 acres to motorized vehicles.

What This Could Mean Going Forward

If the bill passes, the Outdoor ADA would shift power from federal land managers toward local stakeholders and establish motorized access density as a statutory minimum rather than a discretionary consideration. 

Travel management plans would look different – fewer closures, more replacement route requirements, faster processes with less environmental review.

For already-finalized plans such as the San Rafael Swell and the Henry Mountains, the impact depends on the effective dates and the retroactivity language. The bill, as introduced, wouldn't automatically reopen closed roads – it would apply to future decisions. 

However, motorized groups could potentially petition the BLM to reconsider finalized plans once new standards take effect.

For in-progress plans like Labyrinth Rims/Gemini Bridges and Nine Mile, the impact would be more immediate. Agencies would need to redesign alternatives to comply with accessibility requirements.

If the bill fails, the status quo continues: BLM completes settlement-required travel management plans implementing closures, motorized groups pursue R.S. 2477 litigation seeking to preserve specific historic routes, and the battle plays out through administrative planning and public comment processes on individual decisions.

Stay Connected with the Community

This is a developing situation with big implications for how we access public lands. We'll continue tracking this legislation and related travel management decisions as they develop.

Several questions remain unanswered: 

• How will "emergency or significant safety threat" exceptions be interpreted?

• What counts as an "authorized road accessible to motorized vehicles" for calculating the 2.5-mile ratio – paved roads, gravel, two-track, single-track ATV trails?

• How will seasonal closures factor into calculations?

Whether you support the bill, oppose it, or haven't made up your mind, staying informed on policy developments that affect trail access is part of being an engaged member of the off-road community.

Whether you're hitting trails in Utah, Colorado, or anywhere else, Goats Trail Apparel is here for people who actually use their rigs—not just talk about it.

Check out our latest gear and apparel and gear up for whatever comes next. We'll keep you posted as this story develops. See you on the trails!