2002 IMBA Annual Report
A message from the Executive Director
While 2002 was a challenging year for the global economy and for non-profit giving, IMBA's overall budget grew by 12 percent. Our supporters-individuals, clubs, foundations, retailers and equipment makers-dug deep to keep our work on behalf of mountain biking on track.
Financial stability is crucial for every organization because it establishes a foundation for what really matters: effective work. During 2002, all of IMBA's programs to keep trails open for mountain biking advanced. We guided more new trail construction projects than ever. Our already strong reputation among federal agency leaders and field land managers improved. Our staff and volunteer network received important training and more consistent support: today they are more experienced and more effective.
IMBA's urban access Hot Spots program and our national leadership efforts in Washington, D.C. were two key areas of progress last year. You'll hear lots more about both of these programs in the coming months.
Meanwhile, mountain biking continues to face potent challenges. Population growth and sprawl continue to squeeze more people onto fewer trails. A soft economy has reduced government spending on trail management and maintenance. New Wilderness proposals include trails that are popular rides: While we support conservation of public land, we can't support bike bans on our favorite paths.
We are pleased to present a brief IMBA annual report - a snapshot of our financial results, programs and accomplishments - on pages 6-9 of this edition of IMBA Trail News. We welcome your continuing comments and critiques. We remain very grateful for your long-term support for IMBA and the wonderful sport of mountain biking.
Tim Blumenthal
IMBA Executive Director
IMBA Income & Expenditures
| 2002* | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | ||||
| Individual Contributions | $ 724,724 | 742,396 | 689,675 | 633,140 |
| Grants & Corporate Support | 586,517 | 423,699 | 458,409 | 393,118 |
| In-kind Contributions | 150,008 | 100,924 | 79,777 | 50,279 |
| Product Sales (net) | 41,206 | 32,439 | 18,065 | 3,821 |
| Royalties | 27,401 | 48,446 | 48,647 | 31,879 |
| Other (includes Club, Patrol & Dealer Support) | 65,166 | 41,353 | 31,487 | 17,701 |
| Total Revenue | 1,595,022 | 1,389,257 | 1,326,060 | 1,129,938 |
| Expenses | ||||
| Payroll & Benefits | 719,381 | 568,578 | 485,278 | 448,369 |
| Printing/Marketing/Design | 209,830 | 179,881 | 144,814 | 126,593 |
| General & Administrative | 192,091 | 159,799 | 109,934 | 110,283 |
| Travel | 161,118 | 138,591 | 150,670 | 143,210 |
| Postage & Shipping | 144,630 | 158,406 | 132,854 | 158,675 |
| Premium Gifts | 68,503 | 55,932 | 61,124 | 50,852 |
| Professional Fees | 52,186 | 27,836 | 19,659 | 13,327 |
| Grants & Activities | 38,376 | 49,364 | 39,650 | 34,840 |
| Other | 14,065 | 50,362 | 33,529 | 15,201 |
| Total Expenses | 1,600,180 | 1,388,749 | 1,177,512 | 1,101,350 |
| Increase (decrease) to net assets | (5,158) | 508 | 148,548 | 28,588 |
| *2002 figures will be audited in Spring, 2003 | ||||
IMBA Balance Sheet
| 2002* | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assets | ||||
| Current Assets | ||||
| Cash and Short-term Investments | 177,264 | 182,985 | 188,858 | 70,368 |
| Accounts & Pledges Receivable | 39,056 | 37,798 | 51,016 | 27,986 |
| Inventory | 18,831 | 14,164 | 18,979 | 10,809 |
| Other Assets | 2,800 | 9,309 | 5,659 | 7,140 |
| Total Current Assets | 237,951 | 244,256 | 264,512 | 116,303 |
| Property and Equipment (net of depreciation) | 44,859 | 34,536 | 26,253 | 29,335 |
| Total Assets | 282,810 | 278,792 | 290,765 | 145,638 |
| Liabilities | ||||
| Current Liabilities | ||||
| Accounts Payable | 24,763 | 16,616 | 30,150 | 35,829 |
| Other Current Liabilities | 4,159 | 3,130 | 2,077 | 2,760 |
| Total Current Liabilities | 28,922 | 19,746 | 32,227 | 38,589 |
| Net Assets | 253,888 | 259,046 | 258,538 | 107,049 |
| Total Liabilities and Net Assets | 282,810 | 278,792 | 290,765 | 145,638 |
| *2002 figures will be audited in Spring, 2003 | ||||
IMBA in the News
Rather than simply tell you what IMBA achieved in 2002, we decided to dig through our news archives and reprint some of the articles that show the progress of IMBA and mountain bike access in the past year.
Bicycle Retailer, January 14, 2002
IMBA is sponsoring the Mid-American Mountain Biking Advocacy Summit in Kansas City, Missouri...to promote singletrack advocacy and awareness..."Mountain biking in the midwest is often overlooked, compared to the rest of the country. However, we have outstanding technical trails that are well built and fun to ride," said IMBA Kansas representative Ken Miner.
Bicycle Retailer, February 13
IMBA Sprockids leaders presented mountain biking to thousands of young men at the International Boy Scouts Jamboree in Fredericksburg, VA...The Jamboree drew about 40,000 participants from around the world.
The Cairns Post (Australia), February 15
Cairn's growing reputation as a key destination for mountain bikers received a shot in the arm with the visit of two international experts yesterday. IMBA membership director Pete Webber and trail management expert Joey Klein met with authorities and inspected local tracks as part of a tour of major mountain bike centres in Australia. "International bikers refer to places like Cairns as a mountain bike mecca," said Webber.
Bicycle Retailer, March 12
The faces of IMBA are changing. It recently hired a new coordinator of the Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew and lost Judd de Vall, who is leaving to race...Mark Schmidt and Lora Woolner join the Trail Care program and will travel throughout the Western United States...IMBA's Sprockids and International Coordinator de Vall is leaving the organization to be "a happy, free and pitifully poor downhiller/freerider/jump-digger guy."
Dirt Rag, April
Thanks to local advocates and help from IMBA, the trails previously closed to biking at Lake Oroville south of Chico will reopen this April. Arguing that that there was a lack of multi-use trails in the area, California State Parks plans to convert existing hiking trails to shared use.
Moab Times Independent, April 18
It's not surprising the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) has chosen Moab for its first major gathering since 1996, the 2002 IMBA Mountain Bike Advocacy Summit...After all, advocates are also cyclists, and it's hard to find a mountain biker who doesn't want to visit Moab. Still, cycling will just be a small part of the agenda for the conference, a diversion from the workshops, discussions and networking that will be the focus of the four-day summit.
Bike Magazine, May IMBA just released their new book, "Building Better Trails: Designing, Constructing and Maintaining Outstanding Trails. Learn how to design and maintain technical trails that will outlast your grandchildren. A must for singletrack sluts everywhere.
Mountain Bike Action, May 6 IMBA is asking mountain bikers to help open one of the most spectacular trails in the Pacific Northwest to cyclists. The Middle Fork Trail is a 13-mile non-motorized multi-use gem just 90 minutes from downtown Seattle. The trail is currently closed to mountain bikers, but a new proposal includes an alternative that would open the trail to cyclists...
Outside Online, June 21 After four months of fruitless negotiating over the closure of Saguaro National Park's famous Cactus Forest Trail, IMBA believes it may be able to prevent as many as 100 miles of trails in 20 national parks from closing to bicycles. "We work really closely with the National Park's Service, but we'd have to reluctantly sue them if this trail isn't reopened soon. ..Two or three years of mountain bike trail closures would be a significant loss to users of national parks."
Bike Magazine, July
With freeriding being defined as basically riding anywhere one desires, many people and organizations see freeriding more as an environmental disaster than a viable sport...Interestingly, while one would expect IMBA to completely oppose freeriding...the group actually takes an open minded stance. "IMBA is excited about the evolution of mountain biking. New-school riding has attracted lots of new people to our sport. If this gets kids interested in mountain biking, that's a good thing," said IMBA's communications director Pete Webber.
Dirt Rag, August 15
IMBA has revamped their Hot Spots Program by focusing more intensively on fewer locations. The central theme is urban access, and the program will take place in San Francisco, Cleveland and New York.
Dirt Rag, August 15
IMBA has reached a formal partnership with the National Parks Service's Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program to improve community trail systems. The five-year agreement will develop up to six projects annually, promote mountain biking as a healthy family activity, and develop a model "Urban Trails Park" concept.
Los Angles Times, September 19
Drawing heavily on its experience in California, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management has prepared a broad set of guidelines for mountain biking to help agency official manage the burgeoning sport on BLM's 263 million acres of public land. "In 1992, mountain biking was not a big use of public lands, but that has changed and we needed to address it," said Tim Smith, the bureau's recreation program manager in Sacramento. "The important thing was to say that mountain biking is an appropriate use of public lands."
Summit Daily News (Colorado), September 30
Some local mountain bikers and other trail users have prided themselves in knowledge of "secret" trails...with the Forest Service's new travel management plan, those trails will be closed if they remain a secret. "Keeping trails a secret is a recipe for losing that trail," said IMBA's Gary Sprung.
Dirt Rag, October 1
On National Public Lands Day IMBA signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Army Corps of Engineers to initiate mountain bike pilot projects on several properties managed by the Corps. IMBA's Jenn Dice said, "Mountain bikers may gain new riding opportunities..."
Dirt Rag, October 1
There are two Wilderness proposals currently being formulated that would shoot down mountain biking in the Boulder-White Clouds Mountains and Owyhee [Idaho]. Though a variety of interest groups have been invited to the table to discuss the Wilderness boundaries and alternatives, mountain bikers have not been asked to the table.
Washington Post, October 2
[California] State political leaders and conservationists want to designate roughly 2.5 million acres of public land as federally protected Wilderness...the proposal...would allow some forms of recreation to continue in Wilderness, such as hiking and backpacking - but not mountain biking. "The problem," said Gary Sprung, a director of the national mountain biking group, "is that some people think we're motorcycles without engines, but the truth is that we're hikers on wheels."
Mountain Biking Magazine, November
Bikes Belong...announced recently they had awarded a $10,000 grant...in support of IMBA's National Leadership Fund. The fund backs IMBA's work to preserve and enhance trail and dirt road access on federal public land.
Casper Star Tribune, November 18
Muscle power won out over the internal combustion engine last month...Bureau of Land Management Agency Director Kathleen Clarke signed off on the bureau's National Mountain Bicycling Strategy Action Plan...creating a plan to enhance the ability of BLM managers to administer the rapidly growing sport. "IMBA felt very that the plan should not include mountain bikes, and we shouldn't be lumped in with motorized vehicles," said IMBA spokesperson Pete Webber. "The BLM listened to that feedback..."
Bike Magic, November 20
The kick-off meeting for IMBA United Kingdom took place this weekend...Mountain biker enthusiasts and industry gurus from throughout the UK braved the weather and traffic to attend the meeting, along with IMBA Executive Director Tim Blumenthal and IMBA Board members Steve Anderson and Jay Franklin who flew in from the U.S. especially to attend.
Pink Bike, December 4
Endless miles of high-altitude singletrack, superb Rocky Mountain scenery, impeccably organized advocacy groups and abundant trail maps helped push Colorado to the top of the class in the 2002 IMBA Report Card with and A- grade.
USA Today, December 26
One thing all adventure sports have in common is a need for access to the outdoors. Without trails, surf, mountains and snow, they'd all become video games played by overweight couch potatoes. We're almost there. This war is fought on two fronts. The first is the need to maintain and improve Americans' access to the land and water while preserving the natural attributes that make the outdoors so attractive. In the last month, the access advocates such as the International Mountain Bike Association have joined forces with environmental groups...to find common ground. That's a positive trend.
