Trail-Building:
Habitat Destruction by a Different Name
Michael J. Vandeman, Ph.D.
September 2, 2017
"Impacts on and along trails result from the trampling
of hikers and pack stock and the effects of trail construction and maintenance.
These impacts include the loss of vegetation and shifts in plant-species
composition, exposure of bare mineral soil, soil compaction, and changes in
microhabitats, including changes in draining and erosion. Where trail
construction is carefully planned, most of these changes are of little concern;
although pronounced. Most changes are localized and deliberate." Dawson
and Hendee, 2009, pp. 423-4
"The study revealed that almost 80% of extinction research in the country
focused on cute marsupials such as kangaroos and koalas, whereas
not-so-adorable critters such as bats and rodents held only 11% of research
time, despite making up almost half of the species examined." https://mygoodplanet.com/selective-fashion-going-extinct/
Scientists are generally honest, in what they say but
not in what they choose to study. Despite a diligent search in one of the world's best libraries (the University of California,
Berkeley), I wasn't able to find a single book or article on the harm done by
trail-building. I notice that whenever I see a picture of a trail, I think
"Oh, a trail so what?" It takes an effort of will to think about the
wildlife habitat that was destroyed in order to build the trail. And the habitat
destruction isn't restricted to the trail bed. As Ed Grumbine
pointed out in Ghost Bears, a grizzly can hear a human from a mile away,
and smell one from five miles away. And grizzlies are probably not unique in
that. In other words, animals within five miles of a trail are inhibited from
full use of their habitat. That is habitat destruction! If there were no
trails, we would be confronted by our own destructiveness every time we entered
a park. It is only because the habitat has already been destroyed for us, that
we can pretend that we are doing no harm.
So why do we build trails? It doesn't take much
experimenting with cross-country travel to see that it is extremely difficult.
There are many kinds of hazards biological (e.g. poison oak, poison sumac,
poisonous snakes, etc.) and physical (e.g. blackberry thorns, cliffs, rivers,
volcanos, etc.). It is extremely difficult to find a passable-, much less an
efficient, route. It would be very difficult to communicate our location to
emergency personnel, without trails. So it is unlikely that we will eliminate
trails in the near future, except from areas designated off-limits to humans.
That leaves only one option compatible with wildlife
conservation: minimizing the construction, extent, and use of trails. For
example, banning the use of off-road vehicles, such as bicycles, skateboards,
and motorcycles would greatly reduce the use of the trails, the distance that
people travel, and the harm done to the soil and the small animals and plants
found on, under, or near the trails. Mountain bikers complain about being
thereby "denied access", but of course they can still walk. They just
can't easily travel as far as they can on a bike. On public land, especially,
all trail construction should be thoroughly studied, and should be built only
when officially authorized by the land manager, and only by thoroughly
educated, authorized builders.
By far the greatest threat to wildlife habitat in
so-called "protected" areas would appear to be mountain biking.
Motorized vehicles are generally not allowed in natural areas. The most
destructive use of trails is mountain biking. Knobby tires are perfectly
designed to rip up the soil. Mountain bikers, with rare honesty, call their
riding "shredding". They also have a much greater range than hikers,
and probably also equestrians. They also frequently ride illegally where
bicycles are not allowed.
All of this is well known. But what isn't so well
known or understood is the mountain bikers' drive to build ever more trails.
All park users seem to have a need for a certain amount of stimulation. A hiker
or equestrian can satisfy that need on a relatively short trail, because they
experience it fully, through all of their senses. They can stop instantly, and
turn 360 degrees, seeing, hearing, smelling, touching, or tasting anything they
choose. Mountain bikers, on the other hand, tend to ride fast, often as fast as
they can, seeking what they call an "adrenaline rush". But even when
riding slowly, the very nature of a bicycle requires one to focus almost 100%
of his or her attention on the trail immediately in front of their front tire,
or they will crash. The consequence is that they have to travel several times
as far as a hiker, to have the same quantity of experience. And after riding
the same trail a few times, they get bored with it and want to ride a new
trail. And when they've ridden all their local trails, they begin demanding
more trails to be built. Or, if their demands aren't met, they begin secretly building
illegal trails, or building illegal "trail features" (jumps, berms, log bridges, teeter-totters, etc.). The
rain-forests of North Vancouver are the iconic example (which destruction
continues to this day), but it has been emulated by mountain bikers all over
the world.
If this were a matter of a few sites or a few trails,
it wouldn't be too significant. But it's not restricted to one area. Mountain
bikers, apparently ignorant of conservation biology, have destroyed thousands
of square miles of wildlife habitat, and show no signs of slowing down or
recognizing the harm that they are doing. IMBA (the International Mountain
Bicycling Association) has been promoting mountain biking tourism, claiming
that mountain biking brings economic benefits to communities that embrace it,
of course ignoring the economic value of the intact ecosystems they are
destroying. The mountain biking infrastructure is called "epic
trails", "ride centers", "bike parks", etc. They bait
their demands with offers of volunteer trail-building and trail maintenance.
(But, of course, their vision of a good trail (lots of humps, twists, and
turns) is quite different from what the other trail users want.)
In the San Francisco Bay Area, projects were created
to build two huge trails the Bay Trail and Ridge Trail each several hundred
miles long, circling the bay near the water and along the ridgetops. The
community enthusiastically voted for these projects, waxing poetic about all
the "new opportunities" to "connect to nature". Actually,
no new habitat was created, and the trail construction (which still continues)
destroyed an enormous amount of habitat. Nevertheless, I never heard anyone
complain about this. People seem to think that trails somehow thread their way
through the wilderness harmlessly, without touching it.
Haven't we already destroyed far too much wildlife
habitat? Isn't it time we started telling the truth about trails and our
construction and use of them?
Here are a few examples of the destructiveness of trail construction and use
(for an online copy of this paper, where you can click on the links and won't
have to type them, see https://mjvande.info/scb9.htm):
100 Seconds of Trail Destruction with Matty Miles:
https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-adk-adk_sbnt&hsimp=yhs-adk_sbnt&hspart=adk&p=mountain+biking+destruction#id=5&vid=b8f9aa6796e6a78ebd127bca34017f48&action=click
(Can you imagine what would happen to you if you happened to be on this
trail?!)
Mountain bike trail building: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtZaUS8YreU
Illegal mountain bike trail construction, Hop Ranch Creek Squamish BC May
27,2014:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcwfT68fV0U&feature=youtu.be
IMBA promotes trail-building:
"Saturday is National Public Lands Day
Get connected with your local IMBA chapter or club to see if it is hosting a
volunteer trail day this Saturday. Trails don't build themselves...show some
love for the places you love to ride!
Dig In Applications Open Through October 6
IMBA is currently accepting applications for its new Dig In Campaign - a grant
program that directly supports local IMBA chhapters
[sic] with actionable trail projects. The project list will be published in
early October so stay tuned to see what's happening near you."
Vancouver's North Shore All Built Illegally! (The video is 51 minutes long, but
every minute is worth watching. Very enlightening!):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mB_gOzG7Oc
IMBA wants to create 500 more miles of trail!:
https://www.imba.com/news/imba-launches-dig-in
669 miles of mountain biking trail:
https://oregontimbertrail.org/
San Francisco Bay Trail: 500 miles: http://baytrail.org/
Bay Area Ridge Trail: 375 miles, growing to 500 miles: http://ridgetrail.org/
Long-distance trails in the United
States: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long-distance_trails_in_the_United_States
The Lost Sierra to gain 300 news miles of trail:
https://www.bikemag.com/industry-news/grant-aims-to-connect-sierra-nevada-towns-by-trail/
Examples of Destructive Trail-Building:
Illegal Trail Building in Whistler (I am in no way implying that legal trail
building is acceptable! They both destroy wildlife habitat!):
https://www.piquenewsmagazine.com/whistler/wb-incorporates-dark-crystal-into-its-trail-system/Content?oid=4537412
Glorification of illegal trail building:
https://www.revelstokemountaineer.com/the-spokin-word-treading-the-high-seas/
IMBA: "IMBA is currently accepting applications for its new Dig In
Campaign, a grant program that directly supports local IMBA chapters with
actionable trail projects. We are committed to growing access for mountain
bikers and increasing the pace of new builds in the U.S." "It takes a
village: that statement of wisdom is particularly true in the mountain bike
community, where volunteers, experts and funders must come together to make
great places to ride happen. In Wausau, WI, the Central Wisconsin Offroad Cycling Coalition (CWOCC), an IMBA chapter,
recently completed a multi-year project that resulted in a pumptrack,
four bike-optimized downhill trails of varying difficulty and a
beginner-friendly loop, all designed by IMBA Trail Solutions."
"How To Build A Legit DH Bike Trail":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPoSchTxSs8&feature=youtu.be
Glorifying trail-building and mountain biking:
https://www.facebook.com/globalcivic/videos/1437735176244789/
Day in the life of a Trail Builder: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MekS557BEUo:
the upbeat background music clearly indicates the mountain bikers' attitude:
trail building legal or illegal is fun and has no moral implications
Building a Mountain Bike Flow Trail:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ufswp1ABCLU
https://www.imba.com/resources/trail-building/10-most-common-trailbuilding-mistakes
https://mmbhof.org/north-shore-trail-builders/
https://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-trails/mountain-bike-trailbuilding-101/
10 Ways to Make Your Mountain Bike Trail Awesome! Part 1: https://bikefat.com/10-ways-to-make-your-mountain-bike-trail-awesome-1/
10 Ways to Make Your Mountain Bike Trail Awesome! Part 2: https://bikefat.com/10-ways-to-make-your-mountain-bike-trail-awesome-2/
Build a Mountain Bike Trail: http://www.instructables.com/id/Bulid-a-Mountain-Bike-Trail/
Trail Building: https://www.pinkbike.com/forum/trail-building/
OUR DIRT: Mountain Bike Trail Building Documentary: https://vimeo.com/65738812 no speed
limit, will hit anything in the trail; too fast to appreciate anything; no
knowledge of biology or conservation.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10203947520996337.1073741831.1471603969&type=1&l=df5b117fa3
Don't forget this one. This is what "rock
armored" mountain bike trails turn into during heavy rains:
https://youtu.be/pOXYaYFfLyo
Because of all the damage done to our mountain slopes from too much trail
building, they are building debris flow basins in our creeks, here -- but the
authorities won't stop the mountain biking... It is costing us millions of
dollars....
Here is more from British Columbia:
Delta, BC...
https://youtu.be/7q67O7r60fY
(Illegal trail damage to riparian area)
This trail build was legitimate, but shows the damage done by too many people
trail building, and pulling huge roots out, in a stupid kind of challenge race
to see which team can build the most trail in the shortest time. Pure mayhem at
work here (all through pristine area of forest, destroying the ground cover,
and digging borrow pits to collect dirt and rocks to pack on the trails):
https://youtu.be/muicHp5kaKs (at the
.24 mark, you can see a guy just tear out a large tree root...) "When Arc'teryx challenged MEC to a trail building competition,
we jumped at the chance to get dirty... plus we couldn't resist a little
friendly competition. So on November 17, dozens of MEC staff and supporters met
up with the NSMBA to dig, grub and mine for gold on the North Shore. Our goal
was to build more trail than Arc'teryx over a few
hours."
Unauthorized
bike trail damages pristine habitat in Forest Park:
https://bikeportland.org/2010/02/23/unauthorized-bike-trail-damages-pristine-habitat-in-forest-park-29920
Tracking the environmental impact of mountain biking in bushland:
http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/offtrack/tracking-the-environmental-impact-of-mountain-biking/6559202
Mountain bikers are also degrading forests and thereby contributing to global
warming:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/28/alarm-as-study-reveals-worlds-tropical-forests-are-huge-carbon-emission-source
The damage mountain bikers do on Fromme Mtn. Seems
one builder, MW, who left the NSMBA hasn't gone away (still digging on the
North Shore) -- and the NSMBA continues to give a thumbs up to this sort of
digging and building:
http://www.pictame.com/media/1472817891010303069_435668765
More trenches dug in the name of "sustainable" mountain biking...:
http://www.pictame.com/media/1553816771487873049_435668765
and this is what they dug up the forest to build (video of the jump structure
in action):
http://www.pictame.com/media/1555623388244116041_435668765
How many buckets of gold dirt [mineral soil] and borrow pit digging was
required to pack all that dirt on the eroded mtb
trail on Mt. Fromme?:
http://www.pictame.com/media/1493117981432213889_435668765
This is what the NSMBA bragged about last year... How much more this year? For
your trail building files/paper to show how devastating this all is:
https://twitter.com/MECraver/status/890267891144081408
Pleasanton Ridge Illegal Trails - Park Ranger Helicopter Incident 1-27-12 (NICA
coaches taking high school mountain bikers on an illegal ride, in violation of
their own "rules"; note the nasty comments from the mountain bikers):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJQJeB3hruA
Robert Moor: Only a single sentence negative on trails: "[W]e leave the
most destructive trails, I think, of any group of animals" p.160
Proof That High School Mountain Bike Racing Is Environmentally Destructive:
https://norcalmtb.smugmug.com/2017-Race-4-Granite-Bay-Grinder-Folsom/i-WQ2zCCG
https://norcalmtb.smugmug.com/2017-Race-4-Granite-Bay-Grinder-Folsom/i-mxvW2BD
https://norcalmtb.smugmug.com/2017-Race-4-Granite-Bay-Grinder-Folsom/i-mVDCGbF
Trees are falling, due to erosion exposing their roots:
http://www.pictame.com/media/1657084424238301428_2237726428
Intact forests are the key to fresh
water:
https://news.ok.ubc.ca/2017/12/07/forests-are-the-key-to-fresh-water/
http://www.euanforresterphotography.com/evidence-of-trail-fairies
(click on each photo with cursor to see the story behind the illegal trail
building.... some of it at night time, hiding under darkness.) This is now
celebrated and applauded.... wrong became a right, overnight... This is
how mountain bikers won CMHC... This is the sordid history of mountain biking
on our North Shore...
So much digging for dirt to pour over their ever eroding and compacted trails.
The riding style seen in the last part of this video is the reason why the
trails become that way, eroded and compacted. Anyone who tries to paint this
MTB sport as benign as hiking, etc. needs to watch this until their eyes pop
out!:
https://www.facebook.com/nsmba/videos/10155414065825036/
Illegal
trail building a vexing problem for public land managers:
https://durangoherald.com/articles/214352-illegal-trail-building-a-vexing-problem-for-public-land-managers
An example of how a mountain biker role model rides:
https://nsmb.com/articles/trail-destruction-matty-miles/
Illegal mountain biking on Mount Royal
is damaging its ecosystem, experts say. Repeatedly crossing the mountain's soil
loosens tree roots, affects Laurentian flora: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/mount-royal-mountain-biking-1.4675779
North Shore Mountain Biking Association Rationalizes Its Illegal
Trail-Building:
https://nsmb.com/articles/bc-warns-illegal-building-could-bring-jail-time-10k-fine/
Illegal trail-building in Kelowna, BC: http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/life/article_3c900d9e-8c75-11e8-9837-7b4caec74090.html
Endangered bees caught in middle of plan to add mountain biking trails in
Minnetonka, MN: http://www.startribune.com/endangered-bees-caught-in-middle-of-plan-to-add-mountain-biking-trails-in-minnetonka/490114431/
Habitat destruction by mountain bikers using heavy equipment on Bowen Island,
BC: https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/goldendirttrails/?hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/goldendirttrails/?hl=en
Photo showing the extra habitat destroyed by a winding vs. straight trail: https://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/news/110050760/nelson-mountain-bike-club-comes-of-age-as-a-big-cog-on-nz-landscape
A 2,000-km biking trail set to open in
the Balkans:
https://www.thejakartapost.com/travel/2019/01/28/a-2000-km-biking-trail-set-to-open-in-the-balkans.html
Proposed
system calls for 30 miles of new routes; seen as economic boon:
https://the-journal.com/articles/138412-trails-plan-aims-to-put-silverton-on-map-for-mountain-biking
"Impacts of Off-Road Recreation [specifically, mountain bike
trail-building] On Public Lands Habitat":
https://backcountryhunters-my.sharepoint.com/personal/webster_backcountryhunters_org/_layouts/15/onedrive.aspx?id=%2Fpersonal%2Fwebster_backcountryhunters_org%2FDocuments%2FAttachments%2F1Off%20Road%20Rec-Public%20Land%20Impacts-May18%2Epdf&parent=%2Fpersonal%2Fwebster_backcountryhunters_org%2FDocuments%2FAttachments&cid=c61f2b55-e5c4-41ac-bab8-73807388b4e0
Landers: Urging mountain bikers onto a sustainable track:
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2019/sep/22/landers-urging-mountain-bikers-onto-a-sustainable-/
Profiting from habitat destruction (trail-building):
https://www.bcbikerace.com/resources-to-recreation/
https://vimeo.com/278210701
In Duluth, it costs about $45,000 to build one mile of trail: https://www.marketplace.org/2020/01/03/recreational-trails-seen-as-economic-boon/
Mountain bikers build illegal trails first, then ask permission only if they
get caught!:
https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/mountain-bikers-who-built-ramps-at-northampton-park-accused-of-vandalism-by-borough-council-1-8845649
The same thing happened in both Victoria, BC and LaSalle, Ontario. Kids built
dirt jumps in parks without permission. The cities razed them and the mtb kids whined...
It's not trails that disturb forest birds, but the people on them
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/11/181112082417.htm
"We believe protected areas with forbidden access are necessary and
important, and that new trails into remote forest areas should not be promoted.
Visitors to existing forest trails should be encouraged to adhere to a 'stay on
trail' rule and refrain from roaming from designated
pathways."
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/anarchistic-mountain-bikers-threaten-inner-city-park-s-rare-plants-20190205-p50vt3.html:
"Mountain bike riders are currently the park's most destructive user
group.''
https://www.traverseticker.com/news/officials-battle-illegal-trails-at-commons/:
Parks Officials: Stay Off "Rogue" Trails
https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-trails/ireland-is-being-blanked-by-newly-built-singletracks/:
Ireland Is Being Blanketed in Newly-Built Singletrack
Mountain Bike Trails
Illegal trail-building in the White Mountains National Forest:
http://outsideinradio.org/transcript-rake-and-ride:
"Sam Evans-Brown: If youve ever been walking and turned onto a trail that
suddenly is zig-zagging, maze-like through the woods, winding crazily through
the trees and doubling back on itself thats a
mountain bike trail. Theyre super frustrating to walk on, because they take forever to get
anywhere. Mountain bikers dont
want views or point-to-point trails, they want corners, and obstacles to get
over, and downhills and to ride their bikes until theyre
tired and wind up back where they started. And they want it close to home which
means often these trails were built in whatever woods were nearest by no matter
whose they were."
https://oregontimbertrail.org/about?blm_aid=115004
“Support our stewardship efforts—maintaining and building 700
miles of backcountry trail across the state isn’t easy. Do your part.”
https://www.sfchronicle.com/travel/article/Proposed-600-mile-Lost-Sierra-Route-would-connect-16774287.php
“Proposed 600-mile Lost Sierra
Route would connect Truckee to Lassen”
Recreationists in denial illegally
constructed mountain bike trails: https://www.e-know.ca/regions/columbia-valley/recreationists-in-denial/
Trail building is an integral part of being a mountain biker: https://www.redbull.com/se-en/best-mtb-trail-building-tools.
Organizations that promote trail-building:
https://www.americantrails.org, https://mtc.ca.gov/operations/regional-trails-parks/san-francisco-bay-trail,
https://www.evergreenmtb.org,
https://www.imba.com, https://www.nps.gov, https://www.railstotrails.org, https://ridgetrail.org, https://www.timberlinetrailcraft.com,
https://www.trailbuilders.org/, https://www.trail.care, https://www.trail.care/orgs, https://www.trailcenter.org, https://trailrunner.com, https://worldtrailsnetwork.org
"Colorado’s next great MTB destination is planning massive singletrack expansion":
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[NOTE: This paper can be found at https://mjvande.info/scb9.htm,
where you can follow the above links without having to type them.]