Some of you are probably already seeing these emails from the US Forest Service already concerning the Master Development Plan for Stevens pass, a big part of which is the proposed Mountain Bike Park.
The reasons I'm bringing it to people's attention here is point out how important it is that the Mountain Bike community's voice is heard on these plans.
Last week at the DNR meeting in Issaquah, a lady named Fran with the Mountaineers club approached me about Steven's Pass Bike Park (SPBP) plans to let me know that there is already some vocal and influential opposition to the bike park in certain groups such as the Sierra Club and other eco-centered organizations. While Fran's organization certainly has environmental concerns with development in wilderness areas, their point of view was that with a very high quality place for mountain biking, like the SPBP there would be a reduction in rogue trail building going on and therefore good for all those concerned with preserving natural areas. This is consistent with the Dirt Corps view and forms the basis for the message we are communicating to the DNR with the situation we currently face at the Snoqualmie Ridge trails.
Back to the issue at hand though, it's great that Fran and her organization have the foresight and I was appreciative to her for coming to us about this. We need to communicate this message to other organizations like the Forest Service and the opponents of the SPBP. Her advice was to get involved in the process by writing to the Forest Service and attending meetings like the one mentioned below. Now is the time for comment and public involvement. I don't think I need to go on about the significance of the SPBP and the potential it has to us a racers, freeriders and consumers feeling the pinch of rising costs on our ability to go to Whistler.
So I'm passing along the word and calling for action. Talk to people about this. Ask questions and get involved.
Personally I will attending this meeting in Snohomish on Wednesday the 25th of June. In the meantime I will be doing some research into the state of the proposal and looking for more opportunities to support this. The information regarding the plans is available here:
http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/mbs/projects/stevens-pass-mdp/index.shtml
The time for comment is over by July 3rd, so we need to act now.
The reasons I'm bringing it to people's attention here is point out how important it is that the Mountain Bike community's voice is heard on these plans.
Last week at the DNR meeting in Issaquah, a lady named Fran with the Mountaineers club approached me about Steven's Pass Bike Park (SPBP) plans to let me know that there is already some vocal and influential opposition to the bike park in certain groups such as the Sierra Club and other eco-centered organizations. While Fran's organization certainly has environmental concerns with development in wilderness areas, their point of view was that with a very high quality place for mountain biking, like the SPBP there would be a reduction in rogue trail building going on and therefore good for all those concerned with preserving natural areas. This is consistent with the Dirt Corps view and forms the basis for the message we are communicating to the DNR with the situation we currently face at the Snoqualmie Ridge trails.
Back to the issue at hand though, it's great that Fran and her organization have the foresight and I was appreciative to her for coming to us about this. We need to communicate this message to other organizations like the Forest Service and the opponents of the SPBP. Her advice was to get involved in the process by writing to the Forest Service and attending meetings like the one mentioned below. Now is the time for comment and public involvement. I don't think I need to go on about the significance of the SPBP and the potential it has to us a racers, freeriders and consumers feeling the pinch of rising costs on our ability to go to Whistler.
So I'm passing along the word and calling for action. Talk to people about this. Ask questions and get involved.
Personally I will attending this meeting in Snohomish on Wednesday the 25th of June. In the meantime I will be doing some research into the state of the proposal and looking for more opportunities to support this. The information regarding the plans is available here:
http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/mbs/projects/stevens-pass-mdp/index.shtml
The time for comment is over by July 3rd, so we need to act now.