Cherry-Stemmed Roads and Trails

The following legislative language is used in the 2006 Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Wilderness Act to preserve access to several dirt roads while still protecting the surrounding landscape as Wilderness. This type of language can be customized to permit only bicycles on old fire roads, trails, or other routes. Any future language on cherry-stemming should refer to bicycles as such, not as mechanized.

(m) Cherry-Stemmed Roads-

(1) DEFINITION- In this subsection, the term 'cherry-stemmed road' means a road that is excluded from the wilderness areas designated by section 3 by a non-wilderness corridor having designated wilderness on both sides, as generally depicted on the maps described in such section.

(2) CLOSURES AND RESTRICTIONS- The Secretary shall not--

(A) close any cherry-stemmed road that is open to the public as of the date of the enactment of this Act;

(B) prohibit motorized access on a cherry-stemmed road that is open to the public for motorized access as of the date of the enactment of this Act; or

(C) prohibit mechanized access on a cherry-stemmed road that is open to the public for mechanized access as of the date of the enactment of this Act.

(3) EXCEPTIONS- Nothing in this subsection shall be construed as precluding the Secretary from closing or restricting access to a cherry-stemmed road for purposes of significant resource protection or public safety.