From: [name withheld to protect them from harassment and threats by mountain
bikers]
To: "'Mike Vandeman'" <[email hidden]>
Subject: RE: High School Student (Apparently a Mountain Biker) Interview
Date: Mon, 4 Oct 2004 22:59:45 -0700
Excellent!
Thanks.
[name withheld to protect them from harassment and threats by mountain bikers]
-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Vandeman [[email hidden]]
Sent: Monday, October 04, 2004 4:51 PM
To: Recipient list suppressed
Subject: High School Student (Apparently a Mountain Biker) Interview
Kevin is writing a paper for school. I don't think he is going to be
happy
with my answers....
Kevin Dougherty <[email hidden]> wrote:
Dr. Vandeman,
If you could answer these questions for me as soon as possible that
would be excellent. I will probably send you some follow-up questions
after you respond.
1. What is your name and title?
Mike Vandeman, Ph.D.
2. To which organizations concerning the issue of trail access do you
belong?
None. Hikers (and bikers when they choose to hike) ALWAYS have access.
3. Tell me something about your background that has influenced your
opinions about this issue.
Study of conservation biology and observation of mountain bikers,
reading
mountain bikers' emails and web postings, and study of research on the
impacts of mountain biking.
4. How did you become involved in the issue of trail access?
In order to protect wildlife. It's obvious that allowing bikes on trails
increases erosion, ruins trails, kills small animals and plants, drives
woildlife out of their habitat, and drives other trail users out of the
parks.
5. How long have you been involved with this issue?
Since 1994.
6. What are your feelings concerning the Park City Agreement in 1994?
It's worthless, because it doesn't protect wildlife, and mountain bikers
don't hold up their end of the agreement.
7. Do you think the Park City Agreement was successful?
No, it was worthless.
8. Do you agree with the expansion of wilderness areas throughout the
country?
Yes. The Wildlands Proect estimates that 50% of the country needs to be
wilderness, to protect existing species.
9. What do you think is the largest risk to our world, how does the
threat
of mountain bicycling compare to this?
The largest risk is that humans thing they own the Earth and act
accordingly. Mountain biking is one example of that. It teaches people
that
the rough treatment of nature is acceptable, when it's NOT.
10. The Sierra Club's motto is to explore, enjoy and protect the
planet,
is mountain biking not a method for exploration and enjoying the planet?
So is driving a bulldozer. That obviously doesn't make it acceptable. It
is
implied in the Sierra Club motto that we will use the LEAST HARMFUL
means
of exploring the planet, which is WALKING. It is also implied that if
nature is destroyed in the process of "enjoying" it, that is
unacceptable.
It is also implied that is one person's means of enjoyment of nature
intrerferes with other people's enjoyment of nature, it is unacceptable.
Thank you,
-Kevin Dougherty
===
I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to
humans ("pure habitat"😉. Want to help? (I spent the previous 8
years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)