"The Environmental Protection Agency is once again delaying the enforcement of regional haze guidelines. The agency has given states a three-year extension to submit plans to clean up harmful air pollution at national parks and improve public health, according to Sierra Club.

The Regional Haze Rule calls for state and federal agencies to work together to improve visibility in 156 national parks and wilderness areas such as the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, the Great Smokies and Shenandoah.

Under the regional haze program, states must submit plans every 10 years outlining strategies to reduce pollution and increase visibility at national parks by ​​implementing compliance schedules, monitoring strategies, and emission reduction technologies. The original deadline was July 2028 and has now been pushed back to July 2031."

National Parks Traveler had the story January 7, 2026. [2]