Anyone read this ridiculous article or hear the broadcast from KATU news. If so, why hasn't the mountain bike community here in Portland put together a statement to show the public the other side of the story. Mountain biking, freeriding, and DH are all getting dragged through the mud and slandered due to some very very poor news reporting.
There are 4 stories on the website, all with different responses.
http://www.katu.com/outdoors/featured/85143537.html
http://northwestportland.katu.com/content/rogue-mountain-bikers-build-illegal-trails-forest-park
http://www.katu.com/outdoors/featured/85382337.html
http://northwestportland.katu.com/content/big-trouble-whoever-damaged-forest-park
I could rant and rave about my personal discontent about Portland and the people who live here, but I won't, instead I'll leave another link to a community formed in my home town who worked together with the Forest Service, local people(opposition and supporters), and actually received Gov Grant money to help neutralize the illegal trail building and build sustainable trail in Teton County. This is what mature and open minded people can do to continually make our sport thrive and prosper. Mind you this was all done, in my opinion, in some of the most beautiful and protected areas of the US. I can't believe the people of Portland can get so angry over a small trail system in a park that borders a city full of 600,000 plus people, river systems that are horribly polluted, and clear cutting across the entire state. I fly over these mountains all the time and I see the logging industries swath of destruction zones that are one of the worst eye sores but more importantly is completely devastating to the environment and ecosystem...but I don't see KATU news or the autobahn society out there writing articles about the MASSIVE destruction and how loggers are Bad People or how they should be punished or blah, blah, blah, blah....Soooo **** you in the neck Portland
http://www.tetonfreedomrider.org/ -
On the flip side, yes, some mystery people cut some trails with out permission in a park. That was a no-no and should have assumed that sooner or later they would get caught with the amount of foot traffic up there and the massive restriction to bikes that is already in place. So, lesson learned and it's time to take a new approach to this if we want this sport to be in the area. So I'm urging all cyclists in this and surrounding communities to flood KATU news with letters and emails regarding their one sided news reporting and I'm hoping that some of the organizations around here release a statement in response to this most recent tarnishing of the mountain bike culture, community, you, me, and the love of the sport.
There are 4 stories on the website, all with different responses.
http://www.katu.com/outdoors/featured/85143537.html
http://northwestportland.katu.com/content/rogue-mountain-bikers-build-illegal-trails-forest-park
http://www.katu.com/outdoors/featured/85382337.html
http://northwestportland.katu.com/content/big-trouble-whoever-damaged-forest-park
I could rant and rave about my personal discontent about Portland and the people who live here, but I won't, instead I'll leave another link to a community formed in my home town who worked together with the Forest Service, local people(opposition and supporters), and actually received Gov Grant money to help neutralize the illegal trail building and build sustainable trail in Teton County. This is what mature and open minded people can do to continually make our sport thrive and prosper. Mind you this was all done, in my opinion, in some of the most beautiful and protected areas of the US. I can't believe the people of Portland can get so angry over a small trail system in a park that borders a city full of 600,000 plus people, river systems that are horribly polluted, and clear cutting across the entire state. I fly over these mountains all the time and I see the logging industries swath of destruction zones that are one of the worst eye sores but more importantly is completely devastating to the environment and ecosystem...but I don't see KATU news or the autobahn society out there writing articles about the MASSIVE destruction and how loggers are Bad People or how they should be punished or blah, blah, blah, blah....Soooo **** you in the neck Portland
http://www.tetonfreedomrider.org/ -
On the flip side, yes, some mystery people cut some trails with out permission in a park. That was a no-no and should have assumed that sooner or later they would get caught with the amount of foot traffic up there and the massive restriction to bikes that is already in place. So, lesson learned and it's time to take a new approach to this if we want this sport to be in the area. So I'm urging all cyclists in this and surrounding communities to flood KATU news with letters and emails regarding their one sided news reporting and I'm hoping that some of the organizations around here release a statement in response to this most recent tarnishing of the mountain bike culture, community, you, me, and the love of the sport.
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