Mountain bikers unite to oppose wilderness plan

Jerry Bone Jr

http://news.statesmanjournal.com/article.cfm?i=82706

Mountain bikers unite to oppose wilderness plan

Expanding federal wilderness would block popular trails

The Associated Press June 29, 2004

MOUNT HOOD - Many mountain bikers are opposing a plan that
would nearly double the size of federal wilderness on
Mount Hood because it would make it illegal to ride some
popular trails.

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said that his plan to add 160,000
acres of new wilderness in one of the nation's most visited
urban forests will meet a growing demand for backcountry
recreation. But Paul Thomasberg, 41, a bike racer from Bend,
said mountain bikers "aren't feeling that love."

With commercial logging on federal forests diminishing,
mountain bikers are becoming the most vocal critics of
proposals that restrict access to public lands.

They claim that the Mount Hood wilderness expansion would
shut them out of at least 100 miles of trails. That not only
would crowd riders onto other trails, they said, it also
would counter any aspiration Oregon has of becoming the next
mountain-biking mecca.

Mountain bikers are the first to admit that they lack the
political clout of a Sierra Club or other conservation
groups. But they're learning.

Members of Oregon bike clubs have gone to at least three
community meetings about Mount Hood's future. They have had
two sessions with staff members for Wyden and Sen. Gordon
Smith, R-Ore.

Conservation groups also have met privately with mountain-
biking representatives to see whether they can agree on a
wilderness plan.

However, there are varying opinions about Wyden's proposal
within biking groups.

"I think the threat on forests from development and logging
are too great to stall over a few trails here and there,"
said Bonnie Lynch, 47, who started mountain biking six
years ago.

Other mountain bikers say that Congress should consider
alternatives to wilderness that would protect the forest
from logging but still allow mountain biking.

"The bottom line is we're not against protection," said
Douglas Van Zandt, 44, a member of the Columbia Area
Mountain Biking Advocates.

G.T.

Jerry Bone Jr wrote:

> http://news.statesmanjournal.com/article.cfm?i=82706
>
> Mountain bikers unite to oppose wilderness plan
>
> Expanding federal wilderness would block popular trails
>
> The Associated Press June 29, 2004
>
> MOUNT HOOD - Many mountain bikers are opposing a plan that
> would nearly double the size of federal wilderness on
> Mount Hood because it would make it illegal to ride some
> popular trails.
>

Yet more bogus proposed wilderness. This slope started back
in the early 70s and it's getting steeper and slippier
every year.

>
> Other mountain bikers say that Congress should consider
> alternatives to wilderness that would protect the forest
> from logging but still allow mountain biking.
>

Either that or quit banning non-motorized vehicles from
wilderness.

Greg

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