The Trump administration is finalizing new National Park Service rules that would expand electric bike access to national park trails, according to Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). The changes weaken environmental review requirements that resulted from a PEER lawsuit during the first Trump administration.
PEER filed public comments today, the end of the comment period, opposing the rules. The organization says the changes lack provisions to monitor injuries and conflicts between e-bike users and hikers or horseback riders. PEER also raised concerns that the rules do not address wildlife disturbance or dangers from overheated e-bike batteries causing wildfires.
PEER Executive Director Tim Whitehouse stated that "the primary rationale for the rules are executive orders promoting deregulation and reducing environmental reviews." He added that park law enforcement rangers will face shrinking resources while demands on their time grow.
A core concern for PEER involves e-bike access to park backcountry. E-bikes are prohibited in congressionally designated wilderness areas. However, 26 million acres of park backcountry lack such protection. Parks including Yellowstone, Glacier, Big Bend, and Grand Canyon have no designated wilderness and rely only on National Park Service policies that can be changed.
Whitehouse noted that PEER opposes e-bike access to remote wilderness areas but supports it on paved roads and developed trails in parks. He warned that "it will become harder to appreciate the wonder of nature above the constant whir of e-bike motors."
The new rules would not override state e-bike regulations, meaning restrictions may vary from park to park.