IMBA got its second Christmas wish granted as the Bush Administration formally revised its "no mountain bike use in National Parks without special regulations and a massive paper trail" with much more sensible language that allows individual parks to determine which trails, if any, are appropriate for mountain bike use. This is huge for mountain bikers because there are many areas within the National Park System which are perfectly suitable for cycling, from which mountain bikers have been unnecessarily barred from sharing. Still, there is an adamant anti-bike contingent that has already begun to vehemently fuss--the victory is tentative.
--R. Cunningham
The rule change issued Thursday pits the sometimes-allied (non-motorized) recreational environmentalists against the “preservationists,” who see the rule change as just another human incursion into pristine areas that would further degrade its ecological integrity. Opponents argue that mountain biking can lead to erosion thus threatening stream health and that mountain bikers are often at the root of on-trail conflicts with hikers and horseback riders.
The rule overturns a 1987 regulation that required park officials to issue a special regulation when designating or constructing mountain bike trails. In essence, individual parks would be allowed to decide on their own about opening trails to biking, thus speeding up what is otherwise a lengthy process. The rule would not affect the mountain bike exclusion in designated wilderness areas covered by The Wilderness Act of 1964 which limits use to hiking and horseback.
“The pending proposed bicycle rule is an example of special interest intrusion into national park management,” said Frank Buono, of the watchdog group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) and a former Park Service manager. In a statement, Buono called the change “mysterious” as many parks have designated bike trails under the current Reagan-era rule.
But George W. Bush isn’t the only mountain biking enthusiast pumped about the rule change. Mike Van Abel, executive director of the International Mountain Bicycling Association, praised the rule change, saying it provides the right mix of public comment and environmental protection. “It’s been a long time coming,” said Van Abel in the Jackson Hole Daily. “The existing regulation treats bikes like they are motorized,” he said....
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