I know nothing about the issue but I hear recreational use and I immediately picture people driving 4 wheelers and dirt bikes through pristine land and I'm like nope.
I'm sure it's geo-dependent, but I wonder if there's a wider media narrative driving the association.
Nobody really cares about the four wheelers flying around on BLM land in the middle of the desert, but if the only "wilderness" near you is mostly ATV trails, it's not a fun place to hike. Those are often called "recreation areas" to distinguish them from places where no vehicles are allowed.