Court Ruling Closes Trails, Says Mountain Biking Ruins Solitude
Montana mountain bikers recently learned that they will see trail access
cut from 170 miles to just 20 miles in Montana's Hyalite-Porcupine-Buffalo Horn
wilderness study area. Mike Van Abel, IMBA's
executive director, said, "IMBA joined the legal proceedings and provided
written testimony asserting that mountain biking does not compromise a
landscape's wilderness attributes. Unfortunately the judge did not follow our
guidance, which puts mountain bike access in a precarious place -- in Montana
and elsewhere."
For Immediate Release 4-10-10
Mark Eller
IMBA Communications Director
markeller@imba.com
303-545-9011 ext. 115
Mountain bikers recently learned that
they will see trail access cut from 170 miles to just 20 miles in Montana's
Hyalite-Porcupine-Buffalo Horn wilderness study area (WSA). The restrictions
stem from a lawsuit that challenged the Forest Service's management of the WSA,
setting the stage for similar challenges in Montana, and perhaps across the
United States. The plaintiffs — The Greater Yellowstone Coalition, Montana
Wilderness Association and The Wilderness Society — contended that the Forest
Service failed to preserve the wilderness character of the study area.
The Gallatin National Forest office oversees the
Hyalite-Porcupine-Buffalo Horn WSA. Gallatin officials have appealed the
ruling, made by U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy. Since the appeals process
can take 6 months to 2 years to be resolved, the Gallatin officials say they
have no choice but to implement an interim strategy, starting May 1. The
interim plan will decide access in the Gallatin until it is replaced by
congressional action on the management of WSAs —
which could take decades. The decision will close the coveted Gallatin Crest and
other spectacular high-country trails to bicycling.
"We knew a decision like this was
coming," said Mike Van Abel, IMBA's executive
director. "IMBA supported the Gallatin office in its attempts to improve
the Forest Service's policies regarding WSAs. We
joined the legal proceedings and provided written testimony asserting that
mountain biking does not compromise a landscape's wilderness attributes, and
that bicycling is not equivalent to motorized recreation. Unfortunately the
judge did not follow our guidance, which puts mountain bike access in a very
precarious place."
Decision Based on User Experience, Not
Environmental Impacts
Marna Daley, public affairs officer for the
Gallatin National Forest, told the Billings Gazette
that the new trail closures are not based on the environmental impacts caused
by mountain biking. “Judge Molloy’s decision did not cite a resource concern
with regard to wilderness character,” said Daley. "So the only thing we
can address is the opportunity for solitude.”
Following that logic, a handful of
trails along the fringes of the WSA will be kept open to mountain biking (some
will also allow motorized recreation). “By moving use from the core area to the
perimeter, the forest has increased the opportunity for solitude in the WSA,”
Daley told the Gazette.
There is a growing body of evidence that the environmental impacts of
mountain biking are about the same as hiking. The social impacts of shared-use
trails are more difficult to quantify, but several studies have concluded that
the perception of trail conflicts
is often exaggerated.