S
S Curtiss
Guest
From 2002: Several groups work with cooperation in mind in order to further
protect wilderness.
Mountain Bicycling and Wilderness Activists Adopt New Spirit of Cooperation
12/23/2002
Issued Jointly by the Following Organizations:
Bicyclists of Nevada County (BONC)
California Wild Heritage Campaign
California Wilderness Coalition
Campaign for America's Wilderness
Colorado Environmental Coalition
Colorado Mountain Club
International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA)
Nevada Wilderness Project
Oregon Natural Resources Council
Oregon Wild
Quiet Trails
Tahoe Rim Trail Association
The Wilderness Society
Joint Statement of Commitments Released
Seeking to initiate a new era of cooperation, mountain bicycling and
Wilderness advocates have agreed on a set of working principles that they
hope will improve their sometimes tumultuous relationship.
Because current federal regulations ban bicycles from designated
Wilderness, the negotiation of new Wilderness proposals has often been
difficult for these two groups in places where both opportunities exist. The
new agreement is intended to guide future relations between Wilderness and
mountain bicycling activists.
"Since most mountain bike enthusiasts support protection of primitive
federal lands through Wilderness and other designations, there is no reason
not to work closely with Wilderness groups. This agreement signals the start
of that cooperation," said Gary Sprung, senior national policy advisor for
the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA).
The newly released Statement of Commitments emphasizes early, open,
civil and continued dialogue on the Wilderness issue. Both groups hope that
adherence to these principles will preserve both the integrity of the
National Wilderness Preservation System and important trails for mountain
bike enthusiasts.
Representatives of the organizations listed above met in Reno, Nevada
on March 19-20, 2002. An extensive series of discussions followed,
culminating in the approval of the following Statement of Commitments by
their respective groups. Patagonia and Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI)
co-sponsored the Reno meeting. It was facilitated by the Osprey Group of
Boulder, Colorado, a well-known mediation organization.
Dan Smuts, Assistant Regional Director for The Wilderness Society in
California added, "Wilderness advocates and mountain bikers often seek the
same goals on public lands. Since mountain bikes aren't permitted in
Wilderness, we need to work together to find ways to accommodate both sides.
It's a worthy goal to protect pristine Wilderness and make sure that the
most valued mountain bike trails remain open."
The signatories invite other groups to endorse these commitments and
to join in the action steps identified.
Statement of Commitments
At the invitation of REI and Patagonia, Inc., a group of 14 mountain
bicycling and Wilderness advocates* met in Reno on March 19-20, 2002, to
address how their two communities can work more productively together. They
committed to the following:
Commitments Reflecting Our Shared Values
Because we value recreation and solitude in wild natural settings that
preserve clean air, clean water and wildlife habitat for this and future
generations:
We commit to early collaboration leading to joint
Wilderness/protection proposals where possible. Where not possible, we
commit to good faith negotiations and willingness to compromise where
feasible.
We commit to supporting and enhancing local communication, cooperation
and boundary decision-making by showcasing success stories and providing
strategic partnership advice.
Action Steps
We will take the results of the meeting back to our leadership,
colleagues and individual groups to be widely shared and discussed.
Wilderness organizations and IMBA will each assign a point person to
facilitate communication and cooperation among local, regional and national
groups.
Wilderness and mountain biking enthusiasts will use their
communication tools to share information about each other's views - e.g., we
will encourage publication of pro-Wilderness perspectives in mountain biking
media and pro-mountain biking perspectives in conservation media. Highlight
success stories whenever possible.
Create a password protected website for sharing information (e.g.,
Wilderness Act history, political overviews, mountain biking priorities,
contacts, perspectives).
We commit to clarify when unauthorized individuals misrepresent our
organizations.
Identify, support and publicize model Wilderness/protection projects
in which both Wilderness proponents and mountain bicycling groups engage in
a collaborative effort with mutually acceptable results. We commit to the
early sharing of and timely response to information, especially maps showing
initial proposals, boundary definitions and trail locations, as a means to
support collaborative planning and decision-making.
To encourage ongoing coordination, four to six representatives will be
selected from this group to participate in a series of conference calls
(May, July, September and November) with summaries of the calls shared with
the entire group.
We commit to encouraging mountain biker participation in Wilderness
events and Wilderness leader participation in mountain biking events.
protect wilderness.
Mountain Bicycling and Wilderness Activists Adopt New Spirit of Cooperation
12/23/2002
Issued Jointly by the Following Organizations:
Bicyclists of Nevada County (BONC)
California Wild Heritage Campaign
California Wilderness Coalition
Campaign for America's Wilderness
Colorado Environmental Coalition
Colorado Mountain Club
International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA)
Nevada Wilderness Project
Oregon Natural Resources Council
Oregon Wild
Quiet Trails
Tahoe Rim Trail Association
The Wilderness Society
Joint Statement of Commitments Released
Seeking to initiate a new era of cooperation, mountain bicycling and
Wilderness advocates have agreed on a set of working principles that they
hope will improve their sometimes tumultuous relationship.
Because current federal regulations ban bicycles from designated
Wilderness, the negotiation of new Wilderness proposals has often been
difficult for these two groups in places where both opportunities exist. The
new agreement is intended to guide future relations between Wilderness and
mountain bicycling activists.
"Since most mountain bike enthusiasts support protection of primitive
federal lands through Wilderness and other designations, there is no reason
not to work closely with Wilderness groups. This agreement signals the start
of that cooperation," said Gary Sprung, senior national policy advisor for
the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA).
The newly released Statement of Commitments emphasizes early, open,
civil and continued dialogue on the Wilderness issue. Both groups hope that
adherence to these principles will preserve both the integrity of the
National Wilderness Preservation System and important trails for mountain
bike enthusiasts.
Representatives of the organizations listed above met in Reno, Nevada
on March 19-20, 2002. An extensive series of discussions followed,
culminating in the approval of the following Statement of Commitments by
their respective groups. Patagonia and Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI)
co-sponsored the Reno meeting. It was facilitated by the Osprey Group of
Boulder, Colorado, a well-known mediation organization.
Dan Smuts, Assistant Regional Director for The Wilderness Society in
California added, "Wilderness advocates and mountain bikers often seek the
same goals on public lands. Since mountain bikes aren't permitted in
Wilderness, we need to work together to find ways to accommodate both sides.
It's a worthy goal to protect pristine Wilderness and make sure that the
most valued mountain bike trails remain open."
The signatories invite other groups to endorse these commitments and
to join in the action steps identified.
Statement of Commitments
At the invitation of REI and Patagonia, Inc., a group of 14 mountain
bicycling and Wilderness advocates* met in Reno on March 19-20, 2002, to
address how their two communities can work more productively together. They
committed to the following:
Commitments Reflecting Our Shared Values
Because we value recreation and solitude in wild natural settings that
preserve clean air, clean water and wildlife habitat for this and future
generations:
We commit to early collaboration leading to joint
Wilderness/protection proposals where possible. Where not possible, we
commit to good faith negotiations and willingness to compromise where
feasible.
We commit to supporting and enhancing local communication, cooperation
and boundary decision-making by showcasing success stories and providing
strategic partnership advice.
Action Steps
We will take the results of the meeting back to our leadership,
colleagues and individual groups to be widely shared and discussed.
Wilderness organizations and IMBA will each assign a point person to
facilitate communication and cooperation among local, regional and national
groups.
Wilderness and mountain biking enthusiasts will use their
communication tools to share information about each other's views - e.g., we
will encourage publication of pro-Wilderness perspectives in mountain biking
media and pro-mountain biking perspectives in conservation media. Highlight
success stories whenever possible.
Create a password protected website for sharing information (e.g.,
Wilderness Act history, political overviews, mountain biking priorities,
contacts, perspectives).
We commit to clarify when unauthorized individuals misrepresent our
organizations.
Identify, support and publicize model Wilderness/protection projects
in which both Wilderness proponents and mountain bicycling groups engage in
a collaborative effort with mutually acceptable results. We commit to the
early sharing of and timely response to information, especially maps showing
initial proposals, boundary definitions and trail locations, as a means to
support collaborative planning and decision-making.
To encourage ongoing coordination, four to six representatives will be
selected from this group to participate in a series of conference calls
(May, July, September and November) with summaries of the calls shared with
the entire group.
We commit to encouraging mountain biker participation in Wilderness
events and Wilderness leader participation in mountain biking events.