New Bill Pushing for MTB Access in Wilderness Areas

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A new bill, made possible by the Sustainable Trails Coalition, has been introduced in the Senate (The Human-Powered Travel in Wilderness Areas Act, S.3205 [Bill Text Here]) which hopes to reverse the Forest Service's 1984 blanket ban on mountain biking in Wilderness areas. The new bill would allow local Land Managers the discretion to permit mountain biking on future Wilderness trails. It does not attempt to lift MTB bans on existing Wilderness trails but may allow for greater MTB access on these trails in the future.

It also includes provisions which will help Land Managers maintain existing trails by allowing the use of wheelbarrows and chainsaws to clear deadfall. Currently, Land Managers are only able to maintain ~25% of existing Wilderness trail miles due to budget shortages and legal obligation to use primitive tools (i.e. crosscut saws to clear deadfall). Allowing the use of modern tools will increase the effectiveness of trail crews to maintain/preserve more trail miles for all users.

You may be wondering how this will affect you as a Midwestern mountain biker. Truthfully, it may not affect you much. BTW, IL does have Wilderness areas. But if you ever plan to travel the US and want an epic two wheeled backcountry singletrack experience, the current interpretation of the Wilderness Act may restrict your ability to do so. Also, many Mountain Bikers currently do not support Wilderness designations because of the MTB ban. Removing this blanket ban will help bring more people onboard to protect public lands under the Wilderness Act. A win/win situation for everyone.

Further, many State and local land management agencies look to Federal agencies for guidance when managing local trails. This includes deciding which user groups are suitable for trails. Seeing MTBs banned from Wildnerness areas may lead them to believe MTBs have greater impacts on the land (they don't) or are not well suited for similar local trails. Eliminating the blanket ban on MTBs will help clear up this confusion and may even lead to greater MTB access in non-wilderness areas.

How do we support this bill?

Firstly, we need to write our US Representatives and Senators (do it now!). The template letter on this page has been drafted to make the process easier. Scroll down the page for detail on how to get in contact with your representatives.

Also, please share, and keep sharing, this information on social media channels. It has taken a lot of effort to get this bill to this point and it would be a shame to see if fail due to lack of support. This bill will also require the continued unified voice of mountain bikers to combat opposition from well funded groups who do not wish to see MTBs in Wilderness areas.

STC Facebook Page <-- Lots of good info about what is happening with this bill.

Have questions or want more info on this goal? Check out the Sustainable Trails Coalition's FAQ.


Disclaimer: This post is my own personal opinion. In no way does it constitute the official views of FORC.