Mountain bicycle and wilderness advocates release joint statement of commitments

By Clare Bastable

Seeking to initiate a new era of cooperation, mountain bike and wilderness advocates have agreed on a set of working principles that they hope will improve their sometimes tumultuous relationship.

Because current federal regulations prohibit bicycles in designated wilderness, the negotiation of new wilderness proposals has often been difficult for these two groups in places where opportunities for both types of recreation exist. The new agreement is intended to guide future relations between wilderness and mountain bike activists.

“We certainly hope that the development of this Statement of Commitments is the first step in identifying ways for the wilderness and mountain biking communitiesÑcommunities that are certainly not mutually exclusiveÑto work together to protect all lands qualifying for wilderness and ensure that high-quality mountain biking opportunities exist,” said Vera Smith, the Colorado Mountain Club’s Conservation Director.

The Statement 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 fourteen organizations, including the Colorado Mountain Club, were invited by sponsors Patagonia and REI to attend a meeting in Reno, Nevada, in the spring of 2002. An extensive series of discussions culminated in the approval of the Statement of Commitments.

According to Dan Smuts, Assistant Regional Director for the Wilderness Society in California, “Wilderness ad-vocates 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.”

Clare Bastable, the Colorado Moun--tain Club’s West Slope Coordinator, is responsible for organizing follow-up conversations between these two constituencies.  The signatories invite other groups to endorse these commitments and to join in the action steps identified. To view the Statement of Commitments, go to http://www.cmc.org/cmc/con servation/hottopic.html. For more information, contact Clare Bastable at bastac@cmc.org. P