Action Alert Update: Last-Minute Amendments Threaten Virginia Land Protection Bill
Action Alert
For Immediate Release
06-27-07
Contact: Drew Vankat, Policy Analyst
303-545-9011
Newly proposed amendments to the Virginia Ridge and Valley Act of 2007 (H.R.1011) threaten key aspects of the legislation built on widespread support. A final vote is now scheduled for Thursday, June 28 in the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources. IMBA and local mountain bikers support the bill in its original form and are troubled that the proposed amendments would:
- eliminate the bicycle-friendly National Scenic Areas,
- eliminate the carefully crafted trail reroute proposals,
- allow for additional road building, timber harvest and expanded motorized travel,
- eliminate some of the negotiated Wilderness areas.
IMBA urges the House Committee on Natural Resources to oppose all amendments to the bill and pass the bill out in its current form. More than 200 groups support this legislation that has taken years of stakeholder negotiations to get to a point all parties can subscribe to - last minute amendments to tinker with the bill will upset a carefully crafted plan.
Take Action
Please contact your member of Congress and ask members of the House Resources Committee to vote for the Virginia Ridge and Valley Act (H.R.1011) and oppose all amendments.
Sample Letter with Talking Points
As an avid mountain biker, I am writing to ask that you please support H.R.1011, the Virginia Ridge and Valley Act of 2007. This bill includes several vital provisions to protect mountain bike access. I oppose any amendments that may threaten these key issues and the years of collaboration that created them.
The bill will protect nearly 12,000 acres in two National Scenic Areas, where mountain biking will be allowed to continue. Local riders negotiated to maintain access to popular singletrack in the Seng Mountain and Bear Creek areas while still affording the land a high level of protection.
The bill also includes important language stipulating the construction of the Rye Valley Trail, a new shared-use route to provide mountain bikers an alternative to the Virginia Highlands Horse Trail (VHHT). Shared-use trails are an important part of this legislation.
More than 200 stakeholder groups have come together to support protecting these important places.
The two National Scenic Areas and the provision to build the Rye Valley Trail are essential to the support of the mountain bicycling community. Our quiet, human-powered, low-impact use is compatible with these wild areas and we want to preserve non-motorized backcountry trail experiences.
Additional Information
Read more about IMBA's Virginia land and trail preservation campaign.
