New Utah national monument plan misunderstands bikes
IMBA Trail News
Volume 12, Number 1
March 1999
by Gary Sprung
When President Clinton designated the 1.7 million-acre Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument on US Bureau of Land Management land in Utah, conservationists were not the only interest group with high hopes. IMBA looked forward to the BLM's plan for management of the Monument because we saw a potential for policies that would protect land and encourage mountain biking.
The draft plan released in November does protect the land and allow some cycling, but its "closed-unless-designated open" approach to bicycling management is more typical of the National Park Service than BLM.
IMBA formally commented on the BLM plan in late February. President Ashley Korenblat, who operates a mountain bike touring company based in Moab, Utah, wrote, " IMBA is disappointed that BLM has included mountain biking with motorized off-highway-vehicle driving in its proposed management plan for the GSENM. Although mountain bikes are fundamentally different than motorized vehicles, the plan lumps bicycling (the plan calls it "mechanized recreation") with motorized vehicles in all alternatives and allows cycling only on routes designated for motorized recreation. BLM seems to think of us as motorized vehicles without engines. The reality is that we are much more like hikers with wheels. In fact, the overwhelming majority of our constituency supports the preservation of natural landscapes like GSENM.
"It puzzles us that the agency could so significantly misunderstand this form of recreation," Korenblat commented, noting IMBA's excellent working relationship with BLM and BLM's commitment to enhance mountain biking opportunities. The plan would exclude bikes from 1,358 miles of the existing 2,176 miles of roads, yet it gives no scientific or policy justification for this closure.
"IMBA supports the complete, monument-wide closure to off-trail travel by both mountain bikes and motorized vehicles. Wheeled vehicles should always stay on trails or roads," she maintained. She also questioned whether it is appropriate to allow hikers and equestrians complete freedom to stride off-trail in sensitive areas. IMBA will support the plan if it is "amended to recognize the low impact nature of mountain bicycling and to provide appropriate opportunities for responsible cyclists that are consistent with the goals of monument preservation."
BLM will now consider the comments and then write a final plan and environmental impact statement. IMBA will continue to communicate with BLM on this issue.
