The Sierra Club Has Been Corrupted!

Michael J. Vandeman
January 3, 2026

In a misguided attempt to keep everyone happy, the Sierra Club has embraced mountain biking, thereby losing its way as a conservation organization. The Club's mission is to "enjoy and preserve" nature. But if it isn't preserved, there will be nothing to enjoy! Mountain biking and trail-building destroy wildlife habitat: https://mjvande.info/scb7.htm, https://mjvande.info/scb9.htm, https://mjvande.info/scb12.htm, https://mjvande.info/mtbfaq.htm. The San Francisco Bay Area chapter has been completely taken over by mountain bikers, whose sole concern is access for their bikes. It can no longer exert any influence, because everyone can see its blatant hypocrisy. Current Club policy on mountain biking is a policy of no policy: it defers to the judgement of the land manager. The policy should be "no machinery on unpaved trails except wheelchairs".

This follows logically from conservation biology -- "inconvenient truth", as Al Gore says. Read any textbook on conservation biology! (Otis Perry Max Ingersoll, a typical mountain biker, said "Your 'suggestion' I read any textbook is insulting." Mountain bikers don't like to hear the truth about mountain biking!)