Club News

IMBA Trail News
Volume 18, Number 2
Summer 2005

Northeast

The New England Mountain Bike Association, the Vermont Mountain Bike Advocates and IMBA are lobbying for more access in the Green Mountain National Forest (GMNF). The local Forest Service policy regarding mountain bikes is one of the most restrictive in the country.

Western Pennsylvania's Laurel Highlands Off-Road Bicycling Association is working to repair trail damage caused by Hurricane Ivan. Work includes two miles of new trail construction and revamping routes destroyed by the storm.

The Western New York Mountain Bicycling Association urges cyclists to comment on the Allegheny National Forest management plan. The draft plan includes new Wilderness designations that could ban bicycles. Visit www.wnymba.org to learn more.

Trips for Kids Boston completed its 68th ride with underprivileged children. The group has taken 326 kids on rides, covering a total of 2,187 miles, since it was founded in 2002.

Southeast

The American Hiking Society honored James Stankowitz, President of SORBA's Northwest Georgia chapter, by naming him their Volunteer of the Year in the Southeastern District. Stankowitz, who works tirelessly on the Pinhoti Trail in the Chattahoochee National Forest, called the award a "great honor."

On July 1, SORBA signed a contract with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to begin a 10-mile trail construction project near Chattanooga. The TVA administers hundreds of woodland acres above and below the huge bluffs of the Cumberland Plateau. SORBA hopes the relationship will lead to future projects at

other TVA sites throughout the region. The good news keeps coming for the members of MORE. The Maryland legislature approved an appropriation of $75,000 to MORE to improve natural surface trails in the state. Governor Ehrlich signed the bill into law and MORE is coordinating with Maryland Department of Natural Resources on how to spend the money.

On the heels of that announcement, the District of Columbia Department of Transportation has awarded MORE a $14,000 grant to improve natural surface trails in the District. MORE completed two trail projects this spring totaling more than 1,200 hours of volunteer work and added seven miles of singletrack.

Midwest

On June 4, the Mayor of Minneapolis joined more than 200 cycling enthusiasts to celebrate the opening of the city's first mountain bike trail. Four miles of new trail were built entirely by hand with the help of Minneapolis Off-Road Cyclists. Minneapolis' Park Board President announced that all new trails in the city will be built to IMBA standards.

South Dakota rep Phil Busching is busy constructing new trails on former ranchland near Badlands National Park. The area will include a large section dedicated to mountain bike trails. Four miles of new trails have been built, with 20 miles of singletrack envisioned.

The Michigan Mountain Bicycling Association is progressing with plans for opening three miles of sweet singletrack in Detroit's Rouge Park. This will be the first mountain bike trail in Detroit and only the second in Wayne County.

Chippewa Off-Road Bicycle Association members gathered at Lowes Creek County Park in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, for National Trails Day. The group armored stream crossings, fought brush and overgrowth, and hauled away garbage on five miles of trail. This year's event carried extra significance, as it was the first with legal singletrack in the park.

Forty Iowa Coalition of Off-Road Riders members celebrated National Trails Day by wrapping up three years of effort in the Sugar Bottom Recreation Area. ICORR's relationship with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers led to the adoption of IMBA trailbuilding standards.

Rockies

IMBA and the National Parks and Conservation Association (NPCA) ask mountain bikers nationwide to help shape the trails around Jackson, Wyoming, including Grand Teton National Park. Riders should support "Improved Alternative 4," in the current planning process, which would create a complete system of about 50 miles of continuous pathways and improved access from the Town of Jackson to Colter Bay, and from Teton Village to Moose. The plan will also enhance access to more than 40 miles of dirt roads. IMBA suggests asking the Park to consider building or opening future singletrack access in the plan. An online form is available at www.grandtetonpathways.org

In April, the city of Boulder, Colorado, approved a new Visitor Master Plan. Seven years in the making, the plan is generally favorable to mountain biking (other recreation groups fared worse). Highlights include a budget of $5 million in the next four years for trail planning, trails, parking lots and general infrastructure; the promise of trail reviews for large areas of Open Space; and a commitment to consider mountain biking access west of Highway 93.

Idaho's Tamarack Resort continues to work with IMBA's Trail Solutions team to build a network of trails, including a lift-serviced riding facility (see Page 7 for more on the program). Trail Solutions Coordinator Scott Linnenburger says, "What makes Tamarack special is the variety of trails it will offer, including access to 80 miles of trails on nearby National Forest land."

Pacific

The California legislature is wrestling with a critical bill that would force reservoir and watershed managers to consider citizen input when managing recreational use of their lands. This means powerful agencies like the Marin Municipal Water District and the East Bay Municipal Utility District would be required to include the public when they make trail access decisions. As this newsletter goes to print, a state senate amendment had dramatically altered the bill by softening the requirements that watershed managers consider citizen input. Mountain bikers are now lobbying to reinstate the public process requirement.

Boulder City, Nevada, will continue funding the world-famous Bootleg Canyon trail network. The city had considered cutting cash for the trails, but a deluge of letters from mountain bikers and local businesses changed their mind. Support for Bootleg Canyon arrived from riders around the world, including racing celebrities and bike industry execs who hailed Bootleg as a model trail system.

Meanwhile, in the riding mecca of Bend, Oregon, IMBA representative Paul Thomasberg and the Central Oregon Trail Alliance have received a $20,000 grant to conduct environmental assessment work related to the development of a highly anticipated new trail system.

The World

An IMBA Canada-affiliated mountain bike patrol will now oversee the slopes at Canada Olympic Park (COP) in Calgary, Alberta. The COP patrollers are trained to perform first aid on varied terrain including trials, downhill and stunt areas, in addition to their winter ski patrolling. You can learn more about their work at www.mountaindivision.ca

The United Kingdom's Forestry Commission, working with SingletrAction, has announced that it has put aside $700,000 (USD) to develop an extensive network of sustainable, fun mountain bike trails in northern England's Dalby Forest. This trail system should be a tremendous boon to local riders and to businesses who will benefit from the extra attention such a trail system is sure to generate.

In response to threatened logging on an important local trail, Canada's Squamish Off- Road Cycling Association organized a race to support the trail and to demonstrate its importance. The Save the Plunge Race, which took place on May 7, raised money to protect the trail. In the past, SORCA has maintained an open and positive working relationship with the forestry industry, and SORCA has not taken an anti-logging stance.

Mountain bikers in Mexico have a new resource for advocacy news: www.imbamexico.com. The site offers Spanish-language resources, links, news and more.

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	Club News IMBA Trail News Volume 18, Number 2 Summer 2005 Northeast The New England Mountain Bike Association, the Vermont Mountain Bike Advocates and IMBA are lobbying for more access in the Green Mountain National Forest (GMNF). The local Forest Service policy regarding mountain bikes is one of the most restrictive in the country. Western Pennsylvania's Laurel Highlands Off-Road Bicycling Association is working to repair trail damage caused by Hurricane Ivan. Work includes two miles of new trail construction and revamping routes destroyed by the storm. The Western New York Mountain Bicycling Association urges cyclists to comment on the Allegheny National Forest management plan. The draft plan includes new Wilderness designations that could ban bicycles. Visit www.wnymba.org to learn more. Trips for Kids Boston completed its 68th ride with underprivileged children. The group has taken 326 kids on rides, covering a total of 2,187 miles, since it was founded in 2002. Southeast The American Hiking Society honored James Stankowitz, President of SORBA's Northwest Georgia chapter, by naming him their Volunteer of the Year in the Southeastern District. Stankowitz, who works tirelessly on the Pinhoti Trail in the Chattahoochee National Forest, called the award a "great honor." On July 1, SORBA signed a contract with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to begin a 10-mile trail construction project near Chattanooga. The TVA administers hundreds of woodland acres above and below the huge bluffs of the Cumberland Plateau. SORBA hopes the relationship will lead to future projects at other TVA sites throughout the region. The good news keeps coming for the members of MORE. The Maryland legislature approved an appropriation of $75,000 to MORE to improve natural surface trails in the state. Governor Ehrlich signed the bill into law and MORE is coordinating with Maryland Department of Natural Resources on how to spend the money. On the heels of that announcement, the District of Columbia Department of Transportation has awarded MORE a $14,000 grant to improve natural surface trails in the District. MORE completed two trail projects this spring totaling more than 1,200 hours of volunteer work and added seven miles of singletrack. Midwest On June 4, the Mayor of Minneapolis joined more than 200 cycling enthusiasts to celebrate the opening of the city's first mountain bike trail. Four miles of new trail were built entirely by hand with the help of Minneapolis Off-Road Cyclists. Minneapolis' Park Board President announced that all new trails in the city will be built to IMBA standards. South Dakota rep Phil Busching is busy constructing new trails on former ranchland near Badlands National Park. The area will include a large section dedicated to mountain bike trails. Four miles of new trails have been built, with 20 miles of singletrack envisioned. The Michigan Mountain Bicycling Association is progressing with plans for opening three miles of sweet singletrack in Detroit's Rouge Park. This will be the first mountain bike trail in Detroit and only the second in Wayne County. Chippewa Off-Road Bicycle Association members gathered at Lowes Creek County Park in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, for National Trails Day. The group armored stream crossings, fought brush and overgrowth, and hauled away garbage on five miles of trail. This year's event carried extra significance, as it was the first with legal singletrack in the park. Forty Iowa Coalition of Off-Road Riders members celebrated National Trails Day by wrapping up three years of effort in the Sugar Bottom Recreation Area. ICORR's relationship with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers led to the adoption of IMBA trailbuilding standards. Rockies IMBA and the National Parks and Conservation Association (NPCA) ask mountain bikers nationwide to help shape the trails around Jackson, Wyoming, including Grand Teton National Park. Riders should support "Improved Alternative 4," in the current planning process, which would create a complete system of about 50 miles of continuous pathways and improved access from the Town of Jackson to Colter Bay, and from Teton Village to Moose. The plan will also enhance access to more than 40 miles of dirt roads. IMBA suggests asking the Park to consider building or opening future singletrack access in the plan. An online form is available at www.grandtetonpathways.org In April, the city of Boulder, Colorado, approved a new Visitor Master Plan. Seven years in the making, the plan is generally favorable to mountain biking (other recreation groups fared worse). Highlights include a budget of $5 million in the next four years for trail planning, trails, parking lots and general infrastructure; the promise of trail reviews for large areas of Open Space; and a commitment to consider mountain biking access west of Highway 93. Idaho's Tamarack Resort continues to work with IMBA's Trail Solutions team to build a network of trails, including a lift-serviced riding facility (see Page 7 for more on the program). Trail Solutions Coordinator Scott Linnenburger says, "What makes Tamarack special is the variety of trails it will offer, including access to 80 miles of trails on nearby National Forest land." Pacific The California legislature is wrestling with a critical bill that would force reservoir and watershed managers to consider citizen input when managing recreational use of their lands. This means powerful agencies like the Marin Municipal Water District and the East Bay Municipal Utility District would be required to include the public when they make trail access decisions. As this newsletter goes to print, a state senate amendment had dramatically altered the bill by softening the requirements that watershed managers consider citizen input. Mountain bikers are now lobbying to reinstate the public process requirement. Boulder City, Nevada, will continue funding the world-famous Bootleg Canyon trail network. The city had considered cutting cash for the trails, but a deluge of letters from mountain bikers and local businesses changed their mind. Support for Bootleg Canyon arrived from riders around the world, including racing celebrities and bike industry execs who hailed Bootleg as a model trail system. Meanwhile, in the riding mecca of Bend, Oregon, IMBA representative Paul Thomasberg and the Central Oregon Trail Alliance have received a $20,000 grant to conduct environmental assessment work related to the development of a highly anticipated new trail system. The World An IMBA Canada-affiliated mountain bike patrol will now oversee the slopes at Canada Olympic Park (COP) in Calgary, Alberta. The COP patrollers are trained to perform first aid on varied terrain including trials, downhill and stunt areas, in addition to their winter ski patrolling. You can learn more about their work at www.mountaindivision.ca The United Kingdom's Forestry Commission, working with SingletrAction, has announced that it has put aside $700,000 (USD) to develop an extensive network of sustainable, fun mountain bike trails in northern England's Dalby Forest. This trail system should be a tremendous boon to local riders and to businesses who will benefit from the extra attention such a trail system is sure to generate. In response to threatened logging on an important local trail, Canada's Squamish Off- Road Cycling Association organized a race to support the trail and to demonstrate its importance. The Save the Plunge Race, which took place on May 7, raised money to protect the trail. In the past, SORCA has maintained an open and positive working relationship with the forestry industry, and SORCA has not taken an anti-logging stance. Mountain bikers in Mexico have a new resource for advocacy news: www.imbamexico.com. The site offers Spanish-language resources, links, news and more.


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