Time to work out differences

By Clare Bastable

There is perhaps no more effective a way to catalyze lively conversation on wilderness than to get a bunch of mountain bikers and wilderness advocates in one room for a few days. This is precisely what REI and Patagonia did last month, at a conference they jointly organized at Patagonia’s sub-headquarters in Reno, Nevada. In response to growing number of issues raised by both mountain bikers and wilderness advocates concerning what has at times been a strained relationship, Patagonia and REI decided that it was finally time to bring these two interest groups together face-to-face. With the goal of a smaller, more productive group, seven or eight key activists from each community were chosen to represent the general interests of both the wilderness and mountain biking communities.

I had the good fortune to be invited to join the dialogue. My role was an interesting one: I did not clearly represent either camp, since I am both an avid mountain biker and a wilderness advocate. This was a good role, considering the goal of the conference to address how mountain biking and wilderness advocates can work more productively together. It was a task not accomplished without a great deal of discussion and trust-building.

The Osprey Group, a mediation company out of Boulder, facilitated the conference. They encouraged the group to talk frankly about issues and “step into each others’ shoes” often. Despite a few pessimists in the bunch, the general response seemed to be that “things have the potential to be a lot better than they are.”

The following days focused on lively discussion and a candid attempt to explore possible standards for improving the working relationship between bikers and wilderness advocates. The group agreed that there would always be points of contention and some justifiable limits to cooperation; nevertheless, the level of collaboration can be greater than it has been up until now. The discussions generated a document entitled “Draft Statement of Commitments,” composed by all members of the group. Everyone hopes the statement will provide a foundation for an improved working relationship between bikers and wilderness advocates.

If you are interested in learning more about this conference, or would like to receive a copy of the statement, contact Clare Bastable at (970) 618-1341 or send e-mail to bastac@cmc.org.