The National Park Service will ask the D.C. Circuit to overturn a judge’s finding that its rule allowing the use of e-bikes within the parks system needs further environmental review, according to a notice filed in a Washington, D.C., federal court.
The agency’s final rule issued in 2020 said e-bikes were allowed on park roads, trails, and other areas open to traditional bicycles. This prompted a lawsuit by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility and other conservation groups that argued the rule, and a policy directive issued previously in support of the change, violated various federal procedural and environmental laws.