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Forest Service Drawing Line On Mountain Bikers in Potential Wilderness, National Park Service Agrees

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U.S. Forest Service managers in parts of Montana and Idaho are working to ban mountain bikes on landscapes that some day could merit wilderness designation, a move that isn't sitting well with the International Mountain Bicycling Association. Over at the National Park Service, meanwhile, officials have no intention of letting mountain bikers access lands eligible for wilderness designation.

“Existing lands that have been determined to be eligible for wilderness, they should not be considered for potential mountain bike trails at this point," says Garry Oye, the Park Service's wilderness and recreation chief. "We wouldn’t want to authorize a use if we’ve already determined that the lands should be considered for wilderness. We wouldn’t want to allow a use that would compromise that future designation. That’s consistent with our policies.”

Since 2005 at least IMBA has been working to expand mountain bike use in national parks. That year saw the organization and the Park Service sign off on a Memorandum of Understanding calling for a five-year pilot program that would explore mountain bike possibilities in the National Park System via pilot projects in three parks. Initially that MOU was aimed at opening more dirt roads and administrative roads to the cyclists, but not long afterward IMBA officials began talking of the need for single-track routes in the parks.

While those efforts led to a study in Big Bend National Park to create a "shared use" trail, one designed primarily with mountain bikers in mind, IMBA officials began working to change Park Service regulations that must be negotiated before a park superintendent can open park terrain beyond developed areas to mountain bikes. As the clock was running out on the Bush administration the Interior Department published a proposed rule to "streamline" the regulatory landscape regarding mountain bikes in national parks, but it quickly drew criticism from groups that feared how much Park Service landscape its passage could affect.

There are places for mountain bikers to ride in the National Park System. Hundreds of miles of mountain biking opportunities exist in the parks, ranging from the classic, 100-mile-long White Rim Trail in Canyonlands National Park to routes through the woods at Mammoth Cave National Park, the carriage paths in Acadia National Park, and even the rail trails in Cape Cod National Seashore. In all, more than 40 national park units off mountain biking opportunities in some form.

But not all public land landscapes are open to mountain bikers. This past Sunday's New York Times ran a story about Forest Service efforts to institute regulations that would ban mountain bikers from hundreds or even thousands of miles of trail that weave through lands that one day could be designated as official wilderness. While many mountain bike enthusiasts maintain that they should be able to enjoy their favored form of recreation on public lands, included those designated wilderness, land managers who oversee lands with wilderness characteristics are trying to prevent compromising those characteristics. And since officially designated wilderness is off-limits to mechanized travel -- even if that mode of transportation is a bike -- the forest managers are perhaps erring on the side of caution by moving to limit where mountain bikers can ride.

"There's no comparison between bikes made 20 years ago and those made today," Dave Bull, the Forest Service's director for recreation, minerals, lands, heritage and wilderness in Montana told the Times. "People are better able to get to places they couldn't reach before without hiking. They're pushing further and further."

Not only are the latest generation of bikes capable of taking their riders farther and farther into the backcountry, but their arrival, some believe, is out of sync with the wilderness concept.

“There is a wilderness experience, a truly backcountry experience, that is part of the idea and the concept behind wilderness," says Michael Carroll, associate director of The Wilderness Society's Wilderness Support Center. "It's preserving a landscape that is similar to the landscape that our fathers and their fathers before them were able to experience. It’s hard to argue that that experience has been preserved when you have heavy traffic zipping by on mountain bikes after you’ve spent two days hiking in.”

IMBA's communications director, Mark Eller, believes that sentiment can flow in two directions.

"Let’s reverse the hypothetical and say you’re in a remote area and you’re a solo mountain biker and you come across a gaggle of hikers," he offers. "Is that going to disrupt your quiet, the solitude on your mountain bike? Probably.”

Beyond that, says Mr. Eller, the debate over appropriateness, and righteousness, of trail use seems to be getting skewed.

“There seems to be the perception of conflict and the realities that people see on the trails are totally out of whack with each other," he said, adding a moment later that, "I have a hard time just categorizing one trail mode as always more pristine and contemplative than other.”

IMBA has worked to build alliances with the land-management agencies, from meeting around the country with officials to sending trail crews out to both repair trails and demonstrate how to build trails that will stand up to bike use. The group has not talked about cutting trails in national park wilderness areas -- though IMBA officials have talked in theory about realigning proposed wilderness boundaries to benefit mountain bikers -- but rather has focused on creating more riding opportunities elsewhere in the parks. With word that the New River Gorge National River is in line for $2 million to expand its network of bike trails, the group hopes to show that shared-use trails can be well-designed and used cooperatively by hikers and bikers.

“That’s what we’re hoping will be a great place for people to look to and see how it can work in a national park," said Mr. Eller, who agrees that not all national parks are suitable for backcountry mountain bike trails. "We think we’re going to be able to show how it can be done when it’s done right.”

While IMBA also has argued that the ban against "mechanized" travel in official wilderness should be reworded to one against "motorized" travel, that might create more of a battle than the group wants to enter in light of the longevity of that provision in the Wilderness Act, which was passed in 1964

“Any time you go back and modify the parent law, or parent legislation, you better do it with some good public debate, and I think that’s what needs to happen if we do need to go back and look at those things that were legislated in 1964," said the Park Service's Mr. Oye. "It’s not our intent to change the Wilderness Act to allow for mountain bikes, and it’s not our intent to compromise future wilderness designations by promoting mountain bike use in areas that” have potential to be designated wilderness.

At the Wilderness Society, Mr. Carroll adds that, “This is the camel’s nose under the tent. That’s been our argument for a long time. There’s no way you can say that they’re not mechanized. They say themselves that they want to see these big loop systems developed, and they say they want to be allowed in wilderenss. For us those things don’t add up.”

A mountain biker himself who enjoys riding the trails around Durango, Colorado, Mr. Carroll said the issue over mountain bikes in wilderness is personally a tough one -- "I've got tons of friends who are mountain bikers. It's a conundrum for me." -- but in the end he believes wilderness lands need the highest level of protection from impacts. With mountain bikes getting bigger and bigger, their impacts are getting larger, as well, said Mr. Carroll, referring to the Surley bike company's "Pugsley" model with its huge, 4-inch-wide tires.

“Protecting the resource, protecting it for what it represents, for the clean air and water, the wildlife, protecting it for future generations ... is the first priority of wilderness areas," he said. "We want to preserve that as a piece of the puzzle in terms of the management of our public lands. It’s not about 'our' use. ... I think it’s (the debate) unfortunate. There are so many people, if they could take a step back from their use and look at the larger resource issues, and the larger context, I wish they could see that this is about the greater good, not just about your specific use.”

Comments

Funny, that has been my experience with hikers. Bikes are not fun to ride off trail, and bikers are too busy riding to be rude


And from AHS - "Many of our favorite trails need major repairs due to an enormous backlog of badly needed maintenance. National Trails Fund grants help give local organizations the resources they need to secure access, volunteers, tools, and materials to protect America's cherished hiking trails."

Our public trails system is one of our nations most sustainable economic and recreation resource that needs to be preserved, protected and promoted for the benefit of our communities and citizens.

It would seem that an expanded relationship between AHS and the International Mountain Bike Association is a natural fit. IMBA is acknowledged as being a world leader in maintaining and building sustainable trails and provides over a million volunteer hours a year on trail projects.

By spreading the love and sharing the load with the cycling community, we could take care of that neglected back log post-haste - heck - we'd even give a hand on those Wilderness trails where bicycles are banned.

Let's get 'er done!

Kinda ironically wierd - the captcha for this post is 'Russian Enviro." Who programs this stuff - Jay Leno?


"Especially when you're biking and watching the crazy switchbacks on the trail. I think you're losing something in response to the real wilderness experience when it comes to trail biking...and it's called the inability to absorb mother nature and all it's holistic gifts that it has to offer. I don't see how mountain biking offers this kind of quality wilderness experience but only a temporary adrenalin rush."

With all due respect, this smacks of a bit of intolerance. It basically exemplifies what Imntbike was saying: many people see cycling as an inferior form of enjoying wilderness and therefore find it just righteous to ban the activity. On what ground really? One's preference? Who's to judge how one should enjoy wilderness, as long as there is no impact on the environment? While hiking bores me to tears, I certainly don't see as some inferior form of enjoying the outdoors. To each his own.


To each his own Zeb! I'll hump the brush with my fifty pound pack and you can chew up the trails and with your super cleated bike tires. I enjoy biking just as much as the next mountain biker but not in nature's pristine backyard. It looks to me now our backyard is becoming another potential commodity junkyard for every commercial selling hooker. Just my opinion. Why can't we keep things simple with nature and with life?


Anonymous, we'll have to agree to disagree. I'd rather simply my ride my bike (under 30# with knobby tires) while you chew up the trails with your cleated boots and your heavy backpack. :) (all in jest).


Zeb...touche! Have a good and safe weekend.


I think it would be best to focus on what the land needs, rather than categorizing users by their preferred means of travel. I bike, I hike, I kayak, and I ride horses. No nature enthusiast wants to see a wilderness area overused or misused by any group. If an area is damaged by recreation, then attention should be paid to making a sustainable trail, or limiting use by issuing only a limited number of camping permits or even by closure to all users during some periods.

High-traffic looped bike trails would not be any more appropriate than an exercise trail or a paved jogging track in a wilderness. Not all mountain bike rides are the fast, loud events that one sees on the TV. People of all ages like to go for a peaceful ride away from the cars in a place where they can soak in nature's beauty. All over the country there are smooth thin ribbons of trail, lovingly maintained by volunteer riders. I hope cyclists will not be discriminated against and no longer allowed to use important routes such as the Great Divide.


Lynne,

Thanks for your insights and suggestions.

By Great Divide I take you to mean the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail that runs down the spine of the Rockies from Canada to Mexico.

Unlike the Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trails that bans bicycles, the CDNST was conceived and sanctioned by Congress to include bicycles. We are presently allowed to ride where it doesn't pass through designated Wilderness areas. Unfortunately there is a movement 'a foot' that seeks to remove bicycles from this iconic trail. The CDNST by design and concept is truly the holy grail of what is mountain bicycling. We as the cycling community need to go-to-the-mat to protect our ability to ride this trial.

It is a national travesty and embarrassment that the ability to ride a bicycle on the CDNST is not already permanently protected in its entirety by Congressional decree! It is disappointing and short sighted of those individuals and organizations who claim to support the CDNST in concept to distance themselves from the enormous conservation group found in the bicyclists.

BOGUS!

Captcha - "Shared Vision"...


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