IMBA CALIFORNIA WILDERNESS UPDATE
For Immediate Release: July 2, 2004
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CONTENTS:
** Action Alert: North Coast Wilderness Bill Threatens Area Trail Access
** IMBA California Wild Ride at Grouse Ridge, Aug. 7-8
** IMBA Hires California Staff
** IMBA Supports Virginia Wilderness Bill - Model of Protecting the Land and
Preserving Bike Access
** Oregon Wilderness Proposal Circulating
** Other Options to Protect the Land but Not Through Wilderness Designations
** Forward to a Friend - Sign Up for IMBA's California Wilderness Email
Updates
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ACTION ALERT: NORTH COAST WILDERNESS BILL THREATENS AREA TRAIL ACCESS
IMBA needs your help to preserve mountain biking on northern California
trails that are threatened by proposed Wilderness designations. We are asking
all California IMBA members to write their congressional delegation and local
newspaper to raise awareness of the issues regarding mountain biking and
Wilderness.
IMBA members have always been conservation minded and strongly supports land
protection. However, under the current interpretation of the Wilderness Act,
bicycles are prohibited in federal Wilderness. Where proposed Wilderness
conflicts with bicycling, IMBA proposes alternative land protection
designations, boundary adjustments to accommodate existing trails and
non-Wilderness trail corridors.
The "Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Wilderness Act" would
designate 14 areas as Wilderness, comprised of 49 separate pieces. Of the 49,
12 conflict with bicycling opportunities. For these 12 areas, IMBA proposes
that Congress use alternatives to Wilderness that protect the land but do not
categorically ban bicycling. Trails that are threatened are in the northern
coast counties of Humboldt, Del Norte, Mendocino, Lake, Napa and Yolo
counties.
Most significant to mountain bikers are two areas managed by the U.S. Bureau
of Land Management, the King Range National Conservation Area and Cache
Creek. The King Range is one of the very few wild coastline areas in the
United States. Hikers enjoy the Lost Coast Trail, and most of this sandy
route has little appeal to bicyclists. But the inland trails along rugged
ridges offer fabulous riding. Cache Creek is a low elevation, oak woodland
close to the northern edge of the San Francisco Bay Area. It offers
backcountry riding close to major population centers. The Siskiyou, Yolla
Bolly, Trinity Alps, Elkhorn, Underwood and Snow Mountain proposed Wilderness
areas also include important bicycling opportunities.
IMBA has been involved in discussion with U.S. Congressman Mike Thompson, who
represents the district where the proposed Wilderness areas would be
implemented. Discussions have been positive, and Thompson has expressed
interest in finding a solution that will protect the land and keep bicycling
trails open.
IMBA needs your help to raise awareness of the issues and provide solutions.
We're asking you to take the following steps:
1. Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper. For a list of daily,
weekly and monthly papers visit:
https://secure.xo.com/cnpa.xohost.com/forms/Daily.asp
2. If you live in northwestern California, or plan to visit with your bike,
please phone, fax or email a message to Congressman Mike Thompson (phone:
202-225-3311; fax: 202-225-4335; for email, use his website:
http://www.house.gov/mthompson)
KEY POINTS TO MAKE REGARDING MOUNTAIN BIKING IN CALIFORNIA
-- Mountain biking is a low-impact, human-powered activity that is
appropriate in protected places. The impacts of bicycling on the land are
about the same as the impacts of hiking.
-- Some of California's best trails could be closed to bicyclists by new
Wilderness designations. Some areas proposed contain trails that cyclists
have helped build and maintain.
-- Mountain bikers support conservation and want roadless lands protected
from development and resource extraction. In areas that include significant
bicycling opportunities, please protect land using a diversity of
designations.
-- California is the birthplace of mountain biking and home to two million
mountain biking enthusiasts. We are an important constituency that generates
millions of tourism dollars within the state. IMBA estimates that bicycling
annually adds more than two billion dollars to California's economy.
Because Rep. Thompson is engaged in positive conversations with IMBA, THIS IS
NOT THE TIME TO OPPOSE HIS BILL. Rather, explain your concerns, talk about
your relationship to bicycling in northwestern California, and ask him to
accommodate cycling in the preservation proposals.
Also, if you have detailed knowledge regarding the trails or riding
opportunities in any of these areas, please contact Gary Sprung or Jenn Dice
at IMBA at 888-442-4622.
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IMBA CALIFORNIA WILD RIDE AT GROUSE RIDGE, AUG. 7-8
The International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) and Pearl Izumi
Outlet Stores of Northern California will host a Wild Ride at Grouse Ridge
Aug. 7 and 8, 2004. This weekend-long event will feature two rides on
fantastic High Sierra trails that face closure to bicyclists due to potential
Wilderness designation.
IMBA is hosting a series of mountain bike rides to showcase trails that could
be closed to mountain biking due to potential Wilderness designations.
Congressional legislation calls for 2.5-million acres of California public
land to be reclassified as federal Wilderness. Bicycle use is categorically
prohibited in Wilderness areas. While IMBA supports protecting open space
from development, some of the proposed areas contain popular trails that
cyclists have ridden for years.
Each IMBA Wild Ride features singletrack trails with outstanding vistas. The
events are designed to celebrate the spirit of mountain biking and increase
awareness of great trails and lands that need protection from development,
but not specifically through Wilderness designations that ban bicycle use.
All events are free of charge and limited to 50 riders. Registration is now
open. If you join IMBA for both days, primitive camping is nearby and
requires no reservations. The event will feature swag, prizes and free beer!
Grouse Ridge is west of Donner Summit near the intersection of Interstate 80
and Highway 20. It features some of the best riding in the state. For more
information about area trails, visit the website of local IMBA affiliated
club the Bicyclists of Nevada County (BONC) http://www.bonc.org/trailguide.htm
This event is the part of the IMBA Wild Ride program. This series of events
give mountain bikers the opportunity to ride important California trails that
are threatened with Wilderness closures. Local IMBA-affiliated clubs hosted
seven events in 2003: Condor Peak, Grouse Ridge, White Mountains (Near
Bishop), South Fork of the Trinity/Chinquapin, Mountain Lola/Castle Peak,
Mill Creek and Feather Falls. This year, IMBA Wild Rides have been at Cache
Creek, Feather Falls, King Range and Antelope Creek/Mill Creek.
For more information contact event host John Gardiner at (650) 279-3809 or
john@johngardiner.com.
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IMBA HIRES CALIFORNIA ADVOCACY DIRECTOR SUE FRY
IMBA is excited to announce new California-based staff member Sue Fry.
Headquartered in Sacramento, Sue Fry is also the executive director of the
Northern California Mountain Bike Association, a new coalition of clubs who
have teamed to improve trail access in the often-contentious Bay Area. Sue is
working primarily on California Wilderness and lending support to the 60
IMBA-affiliated mountain bike clubs in the state.
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IMBA SUPPORTS VIRGINIA WILDERNESS BILL -- MODEL OF PROTECTING THE LAND AND
PRESERVING BIKE ACCESS
Representatives of IMBA and the Virginia Wilderness Committee (VWC) praised
the recent introduction of legislation to protect parts of the Jefferson
National Forest in southern Virginia as Wilderness. The groups worked hard to
find compromises to accommodate everyone's uses while protecting the forest.
The "Virginia Ridge and Valley Wilderness and National Scenic Areas Act of
2004," introduced by U.S. Representative Rick Boucher and U.S. Senator John
Warner, would designate four new Wilderness areas, additions to five existing
Wilderness areas and two National Scenic Areas.
"IMBA has long supported land preservation, but Wilderness is always a tough
one for us because it categorically bans bikes," said Gary Sprung, IMBA's
senior national policy advisor. "In other states, that has led to serious
disagreements between cyclists and Wilderness advocates. But the Virginia
Wilderness Committee worked hard to understand and accommodate mountain
bicycling. They made many boundary adjustments and supported National Scenic
Areas for the two areas with significant bicycling trails."
The National Scenic Areas proposed for Crawfish Valley and Seng Mountain
would allow bicycling, but prohibit mining, road building, logging, and
motorized travel (with minor exceptions). Fire fighting would be permitted as
well as maintenance of existing wildlife openings.
"We did give up some trails that were important to bicycling in the Raccoon
Branch proposed Wilderness," Sprung noted. "But we consulted with local
cyclists and they agreed that the compromise made sense."
The bill includes a provision that encourages the USDA Forest Service to
build a bypass trail around Raccoon Branch to facilitate long-distance
bicycle travel.
"This Wilderness legislation is the product of years of work," said Mark
Miller with the Virginia Wilderness Committee and the Southern Appalachian
Forest Coalition. "We are happy and excited that the mountain bicycling
community has joined us in what has been a two-year effort. The agreement
between IMBA and VWC provides a framework for future cooperative efforts in
Virginia. For now, we must all now work together to help the Virginia
delegation get this bill passed."
IMBA has already encouraged its members to contact the Virginia Congressional
delegation to support the bill. IMBA will launch a national letter writing
campaign when the bill goes to committee.
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OREGON WILDERNESS PROPOSAL CIRCULATING
IMBA and the mountain bicycling community of Oregon are preparing to address
the new Lewis and Clark Wilderness proposed for the Mount Hood National
Forest, which is east of Portland and south of the Columbia River. Mountain
bike advocates have been attending public meetings, pouring over maps and
working to find ways to protect the land but not at the expense of trail
access. Local IMBA leaders have been meeting with the Oregon Natural
Resources Council, and are engaged in preliminary discussions regarding the
proposal. Staff members of Senator Ron Wyden, who proposed the bill, as well
as Senator Gordon Smith and Representatives Greg Walden and Earl Blumenauer,
have engaged in dialog with cyclists and are taking our concerns seriously.
Stay tuned to imba.com. In the mean time, contact gary@imba.com or
jenn@imba.com for more information.
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IMBA'S LAND PROTECTION PROPOSALS - ALTERNATIVES TO WILDERNESS
IMBA believes that formal Wilderness land designation is just one way to
protect open space from development. There are many other tools that
preserve pristine areas but do not categorically ban bicycle use.
Legislative Options:
National Conservation Area
Protection Area
National Scenic Area
Wild and Scenic River
National Recreation Area
National Monument
National Park
National Wildlife Refuge
National Seashore or Lakeshore
National Scenic Trail
National Historic Trail
Special Management Area
Administrative Options:
National Outstanding Natural Area
National Historic Landmark
National Register of Historic Places
National Natural Landmark
National Recreation Trail
Area of Critical Environmental Concern
Research Natural Area
Important Bird Area
International Options:
United Nations Biosphere Reserve
World Heritage Site
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FORWARD TO A FRIEND - SIGN UP FOR IMBA'S CALIFORNIA WILDERNESS EMAIL UPDATES
IMBA's California Wilderness List is designed to keep you up to date on
Wilderness issues effecting California mountain bikers. To sign up visit: http://www.imba.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi
To be removed from the list visit: http://www.imba.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi
and check "UNSUBSCRIBE."
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International Mountain Bicycling Association
Phone: (303) 545 9011x103 Fax: (303) 545 9026
Website: http://www.imba.com
Are YOU an IMBA member? Join today!
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