While surfing the web i decided to browse over the Wikipedia site for Mountain Biking.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_biking
Browsing through the advocacy section i found an interesting tidbit.
Many trails were originally fireroads, animal paths, hiking trails, or multi-use paths that were simply used for these new trail users. Single-track mountain biking creates more conflict with hikers, particularly in forested areas. There is also some concern single-track biking leads to erosion. Because of these conflicts, the interpretation of the Wilderness Act was revised in 1984 by the National Park Service to be able to exclude bicycles in certain areas.
Nice little section of subtle anti-bike sentiment tucked neatly inside a relatively normal write-up. Not entirely accurate, nor well written for that matter. It's clearly an edit that's highly inappropriate, at least in my opinion.
Now here's the real kicker, submitted in the Environmental Impact section.
Studies reported in the IMBA (International Mountain Bike Association) Trail Solutions manual found that a mountain bike's impact is comparable to that of a hiker and substantially less than that of an equestrian.[2]
Studies that find mountain biking has little environmental impact have been criticized as underestimating the real impact of mountain biking on the environment. In 2003, Jason Lathrop wrote a critical literature review [1] on the ecological impacts of mountain biking, raising some questions found nowhere else. He quotes the BLM: "An estimated 13.5 million mountain bicyclists visit public lands each year to enjoy the variety of trails. What was once a low use activity that was easy to manage has become more complex". He also notes that few studies take mountain biking into account.
The IMBA study doesn't contain a link, but the long winded anti-bike retort does.
http://www.wildlandscpr.org/ecological-impacts-mountain-biking-critical-literature-review
i'm curious to find out if the anti-bike rhetoric of the current Montana Region 1 debacle, is derivied from this guys research. If so any person with a half a brain will be able to pick it apart, just look at this assortment of antiquated nonsensical reference material.
Bureau of Land Management 2002. Letter inviting involvement in the development of a new National Mountain Bicycling Action Plan.
Cessford, Gordon 1995. Off-Road Impacts of Mountain Bikes. Department of Conservation. Wellington, New Zealand
Cole D.N. and Bayfield, N.G. 1993. Recreational trampling of vegetation: standard experimental procedures. Biological Conservation 63: 209-215.
Danz, Jill. "Hey (Hey!) You (You!) You Get Off of My Trail", Outside magazine, August 1999.
Fairbanks, W.S. 2002. Distribution of pronghorn antelope (Antilocapra americana Ord) on Antelope Island State Park, USA, before and after establishment of recreational trails. Nature Areas Journal 22(4):277-282.
Keller, K.J.D. 1990. Mountain Bikes on Public Lands: A Manager's Guide to the State of Practice. Bicycle Federation of America, Washington, D.C.
Knight, R.L. and Gutzwiller, K.J. (eds.) 1995. Wildlife and Recreationists: Co-existence Through Management and Research. Island Press, Washington D.C.
Quinn, N.W., Morgan, R.P.C. and Smith A.J. 1980. Simulation of soil erosion induced by human trampling. Journal of Environmental Management 6:209-212
Stake, M. M. 2000. Impacts of Mountain Biking Activity on Golden Cheeked Warblers at Fort Hood, Texas. In: Endangered Species Monitoring and Management at Fort Hood Texas: 2000 Annual Report, Fort Hood Project, The Nature Conservancy of Texas, Fort Hood Texas, USA.
Taylor, A. 2002. Wildlife responses to recreation and associated visitor perceptions at Antelope Island State Park Utah, Master's Thesis, Colorado State University, Department of Fishery and Wildlife Biology.
Thurston, E. and Reader, R.J. 2001. Impacts of experimentally applied mountain biking and hiking on vegetation and soil of deciduous forest. Environmental Management. 27(3): 397-409.
Weaver, T. and Dale, D. 1978. Trampling effects of hikers, motorcycles, and horses in meadows and forests. Journal of Applied Ecology 15:451-457.
Wilson, J.P. and Seney J.P. 1994. Erosional impact of hikers, motorcycles, and off-road bicycles on mountain trails in Montana. Mountain Research and Development 14(1): 77-88.
Yorks, T.P. et. al. 1997. Toleration of traffic by vegetation: life form conclusions and summary extracts from a comprehensive data base. Environmental Management. 21(1): 121-131
Yorks, T.P. 2000. Should People or Machines Have Equal Rights, an automated Web presentation
Is this an origin of the dusty tired anti-bike rhetoric we hear spewed from Montana?
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/11/sports/11bikes.html?_r=3&ref=sports&pagewanted=all
If anything you can bet Jason Lathrop and his chronies have the ear of the forest service there, and are holding more political clout as is evidenced by the reckless decisions coming out of Montana, and is being validated by Bull.
But if indeed this is the research basis for coming to such a decision, how pathetically weak, i mean look they are dredging up a report from 1978 and 1980. One citing of mt. biking specifically is from 1995 from New Zealand. i like the reference to Jill Dantz's "Hey You! Get off my trail!" haha c'mon... And another environmental citing of the impacts of hiking and biking on the vegetation and soil of "deciduous" forest, i mean c'mon since when are pine trees deciduous?
Couple days left to take a little time to write a letter on behalf of the trails.
http://www.montanamountainbikealliance.com/take-action/bitterroot-comment-deadline-11/5/09
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_biking
Browsing through the advocacy section i found an interesting tidbit.
Many trails were originally fireroads, animal paths, hiking trails, or multi-use paths that were simply used for these new trail users. Single-track mountain biking creates more conflict with hikers, particularly in forested areas. There is also some concern single-track biking leads to erosion. Because of these conflicts, the interpretation of the Wilderness Act was revised in 1984 by the National Park Service to be able to exclude bicycles in certain areas.
Nice little section of subtle anti-bike sentiment tucked neatly inside a relatively normal write-up. Not entirely accurate, nor well written for that matter. It's clearly an edit that's highly inappropriate, at least in my opinion.
Now here's the real kicker, submitted in the Environmental Impact section.
Studies reported in the IMBA (International Mountain Bike Association) Trail Solutions manual found that a mountain bike's impact is comparable to that of a hiker and substantially less than that of an equestrian.[2]
Studies that find mountain biking has little environmental impact have been criticized as underestimating the real impact of mountain biking on the environment. In 2003, Jason Lathrop wrote a critical literature review [1] on the ecological impacts of mountain biking, raising some questions found nowhere else. He quotes the BLM: "An estimated 13.5 million mountain bicyclists visit public lands each year to enjoy the variety of trails. What was once a low use activity that was easy to manage has become more complex". He also notes that few studies take mountain biking into account.
The IMBA study doesn't contain a link, but the long winded anti-bike retort does.
http://www.wildlandscpr.org/ecological-impacts-mountain-biking-critical-literature-review
i'm curious to find out if the anti-bike rhetoric of the current Montana Region 1 debacle, is derivied from this guys research. If so any person with a half a brain will be able to pick it apart, just look at this assortment of antiquated nonsensical reference material.
Bureau of Land Management 2002. Letter inviting involvement in the development of a new National Mountain Bicycling Action Plan.
Cessford, Gordon 1995. Off-Road Impacts of Mountain Bikes. Department of Conservation. Wellington, New Zealand
Cole D.N. and Bayfield, N.G. 1993. Recreational trampling of vegetation: standard experimental procedures. Biological Conservation 63: 209-215.
Danz, Jill. "Hey (Hey!) You (You!) You Get Off of My Trail", Outside magazine, August 1999.
Fairbanks, W.S. 2002. Distribution of pronghorn antelope (Antilocapra americana Ord) on Antelope Island State Park, USA, before and after establishment of recreational trails. Nature Areas Journal 22(4):277-282.
Keller, K.J.D. 1990. Mountain Bikes on Public Lands: A Manager's Guide to the State of Practice. Bicycle Federation of America, Washington, D.C.
Knight, R.L. and Gutzwiller, K.J. (eds.) 1995. Wildlife and Recreationists: Co-existence Through Management and Research. Island Press, Washington D.C.
Quinn, N.W., Morgan, R.P.C. and Smith A.J. 1980. Simulation of soil erosion induced by human trampling. Journal of Environmental Management 6:209-212
Stake, M. M. 2000. Impacts of Mountain Biking Activity on Golden Cheeked Warblers at Fort Hood, Texas. In: Endangered Species Monitoring and Management at Fort Hood Texas: 2000 Annual Report, Fort Hood Project, The Nature Conservancy of Texas, Fort Hood Texas, USA.
Taylor, A. 2002. Wildlife responses to recreation and associated visitor perceptions at Antelope Island State Park Utah, Master's Thesis, Colorado State University, Department of Fishery and Wildlife Biology.
Thurston, E. and Reader, R.J. 2001. Impacts of experimentally applied mountain biking and hiking on vegetation and soil of deciduous forest. Environmental Management. 27(3): 397-409.
Weaver, T. and Dale, D. 1978. Trampling effects of hikers, motorcycles, and horses in meadows and forests. Journal of Applied Ecology 15:451-457.
Wilson, J.P. and Seney J.P. 1994. Erosional impact of hikers, motorcycles, and off-road bicycles on mountain trails in Montana. Mountain Research and Development 14(1): 77-88.
Yorks, T.P. et. al. 1997. Toleration of traffic by vegetation: life form conclusions and summary extracts from a comprehensive data base. Environmental Management. 21(1): 121-131
Yorks, T.P. 2000. Should People or Machines Have Equal Rights, an automated Web presentation
Is this an origin of the dusty tired anti-bike rhetoric we hear spewed from Montana?
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/11/sports/11bikes.html?_r=3&ref=sports&pagewanted=all
If anything you can bet Jason Lathrop and his chronies have the ear of the forest service there, and are holding more political clout as is evidenced by the reckless decisions coming out of Montana, and is being validated by Bull.
But if indeed this is the research basis for coming to such a decision, how pathetically weak, i mean look they are dredging up a report from 1978 and 1980. One citing of mt. biking specifically is from 1995 from New Zealand. i like the reference to Jill Dantz's "Hey You! Get off my trail!" haha c'mon... And another environmental citing of the impacts of hiking and biking on the vegetation and soil of "deciduous" forest, i mean c'mon since when are pine trees deciduous?
Couple days left to take a little time to write a letter on behalf of the trails.
http://www.montanamountainbikealliance.com/take-action/bitterroot-comment-deadline-11/5/09
