Join IMBA's Campaign To Save California Singletrack From Wilderness Closures
Click here for more California Wilderness Campaign Information
For Immediate Release
03-01-03
Contact: Dan Vardamis - IMBA advocacy coordinator
303-545-9011
Treasured singletrack mountain bike rides in California are threatened by proposed congressional Wilderness designations. Bicycle use is prohibited in designated Wilderness. Mountain bikers across the state are concerned they may lose access to trails they have ridden for decades.
The International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) will lead 11 events in California in 2003 circling the state and rallying support to keep trails open to cyclists. Mountain bikers are invited to join IMBA's campaign to preserve access to popular trails and champion new designations that protect the land and allow bicycle use.
IMBA is a national and international education and advocacy organization with 500 member clubs, 32,000 individual members, and more than 400 corporate partners and dealer members. IMBA creates, enhances and preserves trail opportunities for mountain bicyclists worldwide. In 1988, six California mountain biking clubs created IMBA.
Today, more than 60 bicycling clubs in California are IMBA affiliated. California bicycle manufacturing, retailing, tourism and publishing businesses generate an estimated $2 billion per year in economic activity.
"California is the birthplace of mountain biking and some of the trails being considered are trails that cyclists help maintain and have ridden for years," said IMBA executive director Tim Blumenthal. "Protecting the land doesn't have to be at the expense of cyclists. Road building and development of special natural areas can be prevented without alienating the state's two million mountain bikers."
During the last 18 months, IMBA volunteer advocates and staff have spent thousands of hours poring over maps, engaging local interest and meeting with the staffs of U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer. Our primary goal is to maintain bike access to significant existing trails. Hundreds of miles of trail have been removed from pending legislation but hundreds more remain in danger of being closed.
IMBA will lead or attend 11 California events that will bring together mountain bike clubs, local community members, environmental groups, elected officials and media to raise awareness for trails that could be lost.
"Many of California's trail systems generate significant local tourism revenue from mountain bikers," said Blumenthal. "Closing these trails would impact local economies and force thousands of cyclists onto other, often already overcrowded trails."
Join IMBA at the following events:
March 27-30 - Fairfield
April 10-13 - San Diego
April 11-13 - Sea Otter Classic, Monterey
April 26 - Southern California Bike Expo, Los Angeles
May 3-4 - Henry Coe IMBA Epic, Morgan Hill
Oct. 16-19 - Ukiah
Oct. 23-26 - Truckee
Oct. 30-Nov. 2 - Lake Tahoe
Nov. 7-16 - Sacramento
Nov. 20-23 - Los Angeles
Dec. 5 - San Francisco
Save the date and check IMBA's website for more detailed information closer to the scheduled events. To learn more about IMBA's work to save trails in California and to view a detailed list of land being considered for Wilderness designation, visit http://www.imba.com.
Click here for more California Wilderness Campaign Information
