Hundreds of Miles of Montana Singletrack Could be Closed by Next Spring

Action Alert

For Immediate Release
06-12-06
Contact: Drew Vankat, policy analyst

303-545-9011

View a slideshow of some of the threatened Montana singletrack

Mountain bicyclists are facing significantly reduced access in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest in Montana. Following a possible new regional policy, the Forest Service is recommending that at least 275 miles of singletrack in nine roadless areas be made off-limits to bicycles. Many of these trails are epic, destination-worthy routes that have been ridden for nearly 20 years.

Entire trail systems and important connector trails are at risk. The Snowcrest area alone contains 127 miles of singletrack currently open to bikes. In the Electric Peak area, cyclists will be banned from a 40-mile singletrack loop and multiple side trails.

IMBA and local cyclists urged the Forest Service last summer to preserve existing bicycle access to these trails, but the agency did not follow our recommendations.

Unless cyclists take action, the Forest Service will zone these lands as "Recommended Wilderness," and will ban bicycles. Although many national forests around the country allow existing uses such as mountain biking to continue in Recommended Wilderness, Beaverhead-Deerlodge will not.

Deadline

The comment period for this forest plan revision is over. IMBA and local cyclists are continuing to work with the agency to preserve bicycle access and will keep you updated as the process progresses.

What to Say

If bikes are banned from Recommended Wilderness, we will lose access to at least 275 miles of trail that we have ridden for nearly 20 years.

Many areas that will become Recommended Wilderness, including Snowcrest and the Italian Peaks, are very important to cyclists.

Mountain bikers value roadless areas with narrow, singletrack trails just as much as hikers and equestrians. Science shows that mountain biking and hiking have similar impacts on the land and far less than horses or OHVs.

Bikes should not be banned from Recommended Wilderness because they do not degrade Wilderness characteristics. The Beaverhead-Deerlodge has not provided any factual reasons why bicycles harm the land's potential to become designated Wilderness.

National Forests in Regions 2, 4, 5, 8, 9 and 10 allow bikes in Recommended Wilderness. In neighboring Idaho and Wyoming, this includes at least the Bighorn, Boise, Caribou, Medicine Bow, Payette, Sawtooth and Targhee National Forests.