ATV ban lifted in Utah canyon where riders protested

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has lifted a ban on motorized vehicles in a southeastern Utah canyon that was the setting of a 2014 ATV protest ride that was a flashpoint in the Western struggle over government land management.

Zinke said in a news release Monday in that providing recreation access on public lands is important and that disabled people can't get around without motorized vehicles.

The move marks a stark shift from previous administrations that banned ATVs to protect a canyon that is home to Native American cliff dwellings.

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Zinke says they will remain protected.

The May 2014 protest ride was organized shortly after Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy had a standoff with federal officials over similar issues.

A Utah county commissioner convicted of trespassing in the Utah ride became a cause celebre in the movement.