"Wildbikers" Seek Common Ground

IMBA Trail News
Volume 11, Number 3
July-August 1998

by Bob Moore

In Colorado, a small group of mountain bicyclists and Wilderness advocates has been meeting for the past year to determine what they share in common and how they can support one another. They call themselves the WildBike Group. The process emerged from a larger Recreation Roundtable established by Colorado Congressman David Skaggs to identify and address interrelationships between increasing recreational use and critical environmental values.

After a shaky start and with the help of a team of facilitators, the WildBike Group quickly realized that its members have much more in common than they have differences. For example, mountain bicyclists and Wilderness advocates generally share a desire to preserve open space and wildlife and support public acquisition of additional critical lands to protect recreation access, wildlife habitat, and other resources of high public value. Individuals in the two groups enjoy a broad range of outdoor recreation activities, including both backcountry hiking and mountain biking. Mountain bicyclists value singletracks that pass through the roadless lands which environmentalists seek to protect.

A specific objective that the group identified is to gain support from Wilderness advocates for more trails in the urban-wildland interface areas near population centers. Another is to gain support from mountain bicyclists for more Wilderness designation.

The group listed actions they believe need to be taken. Here are some examples.

Wilderness advocates should help find portions of roadless areas that are appropriate for singletrack bicycling.
Mountain bicycling advocacy leaders should specifically discourage bicycling in established Wilderness areas.
Environmental leaders should make clear, positive public statements that support mountain bicycling on public lands.
Mountain bicycling advocacy leaders should inform cyclists about recreation effects on the natural environment and about the values and importance of Wilderness.

A potential urban trails/wilderness deal was proposed for James Peak, on the Continental Divide west of Boulder. IMBA affiliated clubs of the Front Range considered endorsing a proposed James Peak Wilderness if the environmental community would support expanded access to city and county open-space trails around Boulder. But the appeal of the proposal was dampened when bicyclists on the other side of the mountains noted that local riding opportunities would be reduced.

At the other end of the state in Grand Junction, conflict has arisen over Pollack Bench, at the east end of the Ruby Canyon/Black Ridges Wilderness Study Area. Because the bench is close to the city and easily accessible from I-70, biking has become popular there during the time that the BLM and Congress have studied wilderness designation. On the southeast side of the city, the Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Association has established, with BLM and Forest Service blessing, the Tabeguache Trail from Grand Junction to Montrose. Part of it runs through the middle of lands proposed for wilderness. Local and statewide leaders of the mountain biking and conservation communities are working to resolve these conflicts.

The WildBike Group is struggling with the idea of using a range of designations, including Wilderness, to protect roadless areas from development. The IMBA policy on Wilderness recognizes that a "toolkit approach" is needed to match appropriate protection with appropriate wildland values. Some people say that if Wilderness advocates insist on "Wilderness or nothing," they may get a lot of nothing and little valuable land protected. Some members of the WildBike Group believe that other land protection tools, such as National Conservation Areas and National Recreation Areas, need to be formalized through legislation comparable to the Wilderness Act to make them more acceptable.

The WildBike Group has come a long way toward gaining a better understanding of shared values and building mutual support. But there is still a long way to go in terms of translating the opportunities to the larger memberships, demonstrating what can be done, and causing change in the land protection process. Success will be measured by real commitments to land protection and bicycling opportunities.

Help | Site Map | Copyright



	"Wildbikers" Seek Common Ground IMBA Trail News Volume 11, Number 3 July-August 1998 by Bob Moore In Colorado, a small group of mountain bicyclists and Wilderness advocates has been meeting for the past year to determine what they share in common and how they can support one another. They call themselves the WildBike Group. The process emerged from a larger Recreation Roundtable established by Colorado Congressman David Skaggs to identify and address interrelationships between increasing recreational use and critical environmental values. After a shaky start and with the help of a team of facilitators, the WildBike Group quickly realized that its members have much more in common than they have differences. For example, mountain bicyclists and Wilderness advocates generally share a desire to preserve open space and wildlife and support public acquisition of additional critical lands to protect recreation access, wildlife habitat, and other resources of high public value. Individuals in the two groups enjoy a broad range of outdoor recreation activities, including both backcountry hiking and mountain biking. Mountain bicyclists value singletracks that pass through the roadless lands which environmentalists seek to protect. A specific objective that the group identified is to gain support from Wilderness advocates for more trails in the urban-wildland interface areas near population centers. Another is to gain support from mountain bicyclists for more Wilderness designation. The group listed actions they believe need to be taken. Here are some examples. Wilderness advocates should help find portions of roadless areas that are appropriate for singletrack bicycling. Mountain bicycling advocacy leaders should specifically discourage bicycling in established Wilderness areas. Environmental leaders should make clear, positive public statements that support mountain bicycling on public lands. Mountain bicycling advocacy leaders should inform cyclists about recreation effects on the natural environment and about the values and importance of Wilderness. A potential urban trails/wilderness deal was proposed for James Peak, on the Continental Divide west of Boulder. IMBA affiliated clubs of the Front Range considered endorsing a proposed James Peak Wilderness if the environmental community would support expanded access to city and county open-space trails around Boulder. But the appeal of the proposal was dampened when bicyclists on the other side of the mountains noted that local riding opportunities would be reduced. At the other end of the state in Grand Junction, conflict has arisen over Pollack Bench, at the east end of the Ruby Canyon/Black Ridges Wilderness Study Area. Because the bench is close to the city and easily accessible from I-70, biking has become popular there during the time that the BLM and Congress have studied wilderness designation. On the southeast side of the city, the Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Association has established, with BLM and Forest Service blessing, the Tabeguache Trail from Grand Junction to Montrose. Part of it runs through the middle of lands proposed for wilderness. Local and statewide leaders of the mountain biking and conservation communities are working to resolve these conflicts. The WildBike Group is struggling with the idea of using a range of designations, including Wilderness, to protect roadless areas from development. The IMBA policy on Wilderness recognizes that a "toolkit approach" is needed to match appropriate protection with appropriate wildland values. Some people say that if Wilderness advocates insist on "Wilderness or nothing," they may get a lot of nothing and little valuable land protected. Some members of the WildBike Group believe that other land protection tools, such as National Conservation Areas and National Recreation Areas, need to be formalized through legislation comparable to the Wilderness Act to make them more acceptable. The WildBike Group has come a long way toward gaining a better understanding of shared values and building mutual support. But there is still a long way to go in terms of translating the opportunities to the larger memberships, demonstrating what can be done, and causing change in the land protection process. Success will be measured by real commitments to land protection and bicycling opportunities.


Help \| Site Map \| Copyright

"Wildbikers" Seek Common Ground

IMBA Trail News Volume 11, Number 3 July-August 1998

IMBA Trail News
Volume 11, Number 3
July-August 1998