Mountain Bikers Barred From National Forests
According to the New York Times, the United States Forest Service is pushing to pass new rules that would keep mountain bikers off of hundreds of miles of trails across the nation. Lighter mountain bikes built over recent years have allowed bikers to use more and more wilderness trails. Mountain bikes have been accused of causing damaging erosion to trails and polluting water sources, an accusation many bikers say is no more true for them than it is for hikers or horseback riders. New laws could affect trails in the Gallatin National Forest, The Bitterroot National Forest, the Kootenai National Forest and Idaho's Clearwater National Forest.
--Alison Kelman
Comments
Booooo! There are enough trails that restrict mountain biking, particularly in places like Westchester County, NY. I have to drive for an hour before even getting to a place that has decent riding, a county park (Sprain Ridge). Riders that respect the trails are not the problem and, as usual, it's a few bad apples that are hurting everyone.
Flag ThisThis past Summer I was involved in building the first "short" singletrack mtb trail in a Virginia National Park, Prince William Forest Park. The entire trail is only .15 miles and connects a parking area to a fire road. I came into the project after several years of planning and impact studies. National Parks will eventually see the benefits of allowing mountain bike access. It is just going to be slow going. National park "friends" groups and local mtb clubs like M.O.R.E. and national organizations like IMBA need to show responsible plans and commit to aiding in any maintenance needed once the trail is in place. National Parks have a responsibility to protect our natural sanctuaries. It is the responsibility of anyone who wants to enjoy our parks to get involved and listen to the concerns of park staffs. We have much more in common than things we disagree about. Every park employee I came in contact with was excited about the project and happy to help anyway they could. This is due to the maturity,respect and efforts of the people who put the idea together and presented it initially.
Flag ThisThis is very scary. The Forest Service has been pushing to ban mtb in places across the country. They put forth a plan to ban it from the legendary Monarch Crest Trail, even though about 80-90% of users are mtb. With lots of effort from IMBA and others, the plan has been set aside (for now). It all goes back to a statute passed in the 60s that banned "mechanized" travel - before mtb existed. Now, that same language is being used to ban mtb, claiming that bikes are "mechanized". Bikes are no more "mechanized" than skis and ski bindings. Mtb does less damage than horses yet is singled out for this alleged trail damage. Anyway, I hope with efforts by other riders and the IMBA and other groups, this ban will be pushed back.
Flag This