Help Reverse Restrictions on New York Sections of the North Country Trail
Action Alert
For Immediate Release
02-13-08
Contact: Drew Vankat; Policy Analyst
drew@imba.com
303-545-9011
Proposed North Country Trail Sections in New York Would Exclude Bicycles
IMBA urges New York mountain bikers to request that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) remove proposed restrictions against mountain bikes on newly planned sections of the North Country National Scenic Trail (NCT) in Wild Forests of the Adirondack Park.
While the proposed plan does not eliminate bicycle use on segments where it is already permitted, it does call for the construction of new trails parallel to existing shared-use routes to create hiking-only options. This policy is a wasteful use of public funds and contradicts the intent of the National Scenic Trails Act.
Mountain biking is currently popular on sections of the seven-state NCT. Mountain bikers in several states maintain NCT segments and a 2007 comprehensive survey from Grand Valley State University in Michigan showed trail users in that state did not mind sharing the NCT with bicyclists.
Take Action!
Help eliminate needless mountain biking restrictions on the NCT in the Adirondacks.
Comments are accepted until February 15, 2008. We apologize for the late notice, but this issue is extremely important!
Additional Information
This policy is a departure from DEC?s practice of embracing shared-use trails and mountain biking. While several remote sections of the new trail would be unlikely to see much bicycle use?they would be unconnected to other high-quality trails systems and enter state Wilderness areas?these should not be closed to bikes simply because they are part of the NCT.
In 1983, Congress amended the National Trails Act to clarify potentially acceptable uses on the NCT and other National Scenic Trails. Bicycling is listed as an acceptable use alongside various forms of hiking, backpacking and horse use (16 USC 1246(j)). While the nonprofit North Country Trail Association?s ?desired future condition? does not include bicycling, permitting this use is a local land manager?s decision and the DEC should not be bound by private agreements with other agencies.
IMBA respects the desire for some hiking-only sections of the NCT and supports the designation of some segments as such, including in designated Wilderness areas. However, the trail should generally be open to non-motorized visitors, including bicyclists. A growing scientific consensus has shown that impacts of mountain biking are similar to those of hiking and less than other uses (Marion and Wimpey, 2007).
The NCT, only forty percent of which is currently completed and on natural surfaces, needs broad-based community support, including mountain bikers, if it is to be fully constructed and thrive.
