You can't get any more "official" than this! Tim Blumenthal is the Executive Director of the International Mountain Bicycling Association.

Mike

Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2001 16:01:16 -0700 (PDT)

From: Tim Blumenthal <tim@imba.com>

Subject: IMBA Meets With Wilderness Society Leaders

IMBA Meets With Wilderness Society Leaders

National leaders of IMBA and The Wilderness Society met in Washington on

March 27 to discuss ways to improve communication and work together. One key

topic was proposed and potential Wilderness area designations across the

country. which are problematic for bicyclists because federal agencies have

prohibited cycling in Wilderness areas since 1984. This meeting, the first

in a series, was sponsored by REI.

The 66-year-old Wilderness Society works to protect America's wilderness and

to develop a nationwide network of wild lands. The group and its partners

are currently developing Wilderness proposals for almost every U.S. state.

One outcome of the meeting was a joint commitment to engage IMBA's

grassroots activists in the site-specific review of Wilderness proposals

early in the process. Another topic was IMBA's work on alternatives to

Wilderness designation that would protect both public land and bicycle

access.

Both organizations back full funding of the Land & Water Conservation Fund,

the Forest Service Roadless Initiative, as well as increased support for

Federal land management agencies.

--

Tim Blumenthal-Executive Director

International Mountain Bicycling Association

ph: (303)545-9011 x 102, FAX: (303)545-9026