NPCA submitted the following positions to members of the Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources ahead of a business meeting scheduled for September 30, 2026.
S. 2970 - A bill to authorize the use of off-highway vehicles in certain areas of the Capitol Reef National Park, Utah: NPCA opposes this legislation, which would strip the National Park Service’s ability to fully manage Capitol Reef National Park’s roads by opening them to off-road vehicles (ORVs). ORVs are built for travelling off-road, have more aggressive tire treads that cause greater wear on backcountry roads, lead to more dust and erosion, and far exceed the Park Service’s standards for noise, especially as they often travel in groups. ORVs would denigrate the very resources Capitol Reef has been set aside to protect, with impacts on wildlife, endangered species, and the visitor experience. Adding off-road vehicles to both the busiest paved roads, in addition to the most remote backcountry routes, would ruin the unique and increasingly rare experience of desert solitude and natural quiet that visitors travel to Capitol Reef to experience. Substantial opportunities for ORV use, both on and off road exist on Bureau of Land Management, US Forest Service, and the many other public lands in Utah not managed by the National Park Service. A national park setting is not appropriate or required for ORV use, yet Capitol Reef is just the tip of the iceberg if this is what is to come for national parks across the country.
S. 3524 - American Battlefield Protection Program Amendments Act: NPCA supports this legislation which would reauthorize the American Battlefield Protection Program’s (ABPP) grants program, expand financial support to study battlefields associated with the French and Indian War (1754-1763) and the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), and to ensure that the process of battlefield preservation includes consultation with local, state, and Tribal partners. This legislation will strengthen the ability of the ABPP to protect, study, and rehabilitate battlefields across the United States.
S. 3785 - North Rim and Kaibab National Forest Restoration Act & H.R. 5729 - North Rim Restoration Act: NPCA supports these bills to provide emergency authority to the National Park Service to efficiently rebuild facilities after the devastating Dragon Bravo Fire, which caused permanent damage to the Grand Canyon Lodge and surrounding buildings, including historic cabins, as well as other structures on the North Rim of the park. Rebuilding must be done in a way to preserve as much of the existing structures and salvageable materials as possible while taking care to match the historical nature in new construction and that it is done in an environmentally responsible manner. As the committee negotiates final text, we encourage retaining provisions that provide for Tribal consultation and adequate oversight.
S. 4870 – Earth MRI Reauthorization Act: NPCA supports this legislation which reauthorizes the EarthMRI program at the U.S. Geological Survey. This program invests in remote sensing technologies to improve geologic mapping that can better identify likely mineral deposits and provides industry, states, federal land managers and the public with a better idea of where mineral resources are. The data developed helps reduce the need for unnecessary speculative exploration drilling and can help identify areas of high resource potential and low ecological and social conflict. This modern approach to mineral exploration is a smart investment in a more responsible approach to mining development on public lands, including those in national park landscapes.
