[Instinct]

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.

 

[Stevenspass]

Here is an update from the FS on the information in the post above. If you have already signed on with the FS you have already received this email. If not you still can follow the information above.

Instict - This is a point that we have made with some of the enviro groups. The Mountaineers were more open to this idea than others. There is some opposition out there and we are aware and have been meeting with some already.

You are correct that having a voice and getting involved surely helps. I will say that in talking with the FS when making comments either written or in person please be proffesional and direct. If everyone sends in comments like "dude a bike park will be sick" it takes more time for them to sort through those comments. Which in turns lengthens the already tiresome process.

I will be at the meeting in Everett on Wednesday night so for anyone that is there please look me up.

Joel

I]

Greetings!
Thank you for your interest in Phase 1 of the Master Development Plan
for Stevens Pass Ski Area. You are receiving this update because you
have indicated that want to be on the mailing list. If you no longer
wish to receive project information updates please email
mbs_stevens_ski@fs.fed.us with "unsubscribe" in the subject line.

Public Involvement Opportunity:
A public open house is scheduled for Wednesday, June 25, 2008 to review
the Phase 1 proposal and to provide an opportunity for the public to
learn more about the project and the MDP. The meeting will be held at
the Snohomish County Surface Water Management Office meeting room #1
from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm. It is located at 3000 Rockefeller Avenue,
Everett, WA 98201. This office can be reached easily by public
transportation and parking is also available nearby.

Request for Comment and Public Involvement:

The Forest Service is asking for your comments, issues, and/or concerns
related to the proposed action. Your input will be considered in the
analysis, and may be used to identify alternatives, best management
practices and mitigation measures, or to evaluate the environmental
consequences of implementation. There will be a 30-day public comment
period beginning June 4, 2008.

In an effort to reduce paper waste, electronic correspondence and media
will be used to the extent possible throughout this project. Please
include the following with your comment: 1) a valid email address 2) a
valid mailing address and 3) your document format preference (e.g.,
on-line, CD-ROM or hard copy). The Forest’s website will be the primary
avenue in which information about this project will be disseminated.
The website address is http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/mbs/projects/. However,
if you prefer to have hard copies of the attachments and maps, please
contact Sean Wetterberg at the phone number or address in the following
paragraph.

Electronic comments are preferred and must be submitted in rich text
(.rtf) or Word (.doc) format via email to mbs_stevens_ski@fs.fed.us.
Written comments should be mailed or dropped off in person, Attention:
Sean Wetterberg, Project Leader, at 2930 Wetmore Avenue, Suite 3A,
Everett, WA 98201. The office hours for those submitting hand-delivered
comments are 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday, excluding
holidays. Oral comments must be provided at the responsible official’s
office during normal business hours via telephone at (425) 783-6022.
Comments may also be faxed to (425) 783-0212. If you have any questions
regarding the proposed project please contact the project leader, Sean
Wetterberg by phone at (425) 783-6022.

 

[trailhacker]

...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.

That place off I-90 after exit 34 but before exit 42 (not to be specific or anything) didn't take off until Snocrummie got shut down.
Just sayin'...

 

[MattPatt]

You are correct that having a voice and getting involved surely helps. I will say that in talking with the FS when making comments either written or in person please be proffesional and direct. If everyone sends in comments like "dude a bike park will be sick" it takes more time for them to sort through those comments. Which in turns lengthens the already tiresome process.


Joel raises a good point that I missed in my original post, bearing in mind that this is our opportunity to be heard, we need to ensure that our message is clear and consistent. What does that mean? Well, first of all, know that you will be heard, so it's important to do so in a way that is effective.

it think what matters to the people that we need to communicate to and who make decisions is that we convey the needs of the riding community which has changed substantially over the past 10 years. The sport has evolved with new technology and riding progression that demands different types of terrain and trail features.

As I understand it, one of the mandates the Forest Service and the Dept of Natural Resources have is to cater to the public's desire to recreate on public lands. It's up to us to convince them that this plan is good. That it meets our needs, and that it will have a positive impact on a number of fronts.

One of things that will resonate in people's communication are examples of trails we are forced to ride that aren't legal. Here's a perfect example, The Dirt Corps who field a DH race team consisting of 14 riders have no place to practice riding the types of terrain found at race courses like Mt Hood Ski Bowl and Dry Hill in Port Angeles. In order to get our bikes setup right and to work on our skills and conditioning the only place we have to ride within a reasonable distance is exit 38 off I-90. While we are all aware of the fact that the trails at 38 are not approved to ride mountain bikes, we have no other alternative. And the Dirt Corps are just a small fraction of the riders who race DH. At the last Fluidride cup race in Port Angeles there were nearly 300 racers registered for the downhill event and that number doesn't even take into account the people who like to ride that stuff in this area who don't race.

Obviously with the growing number of riders wanting to do downhill and freeride mountain biking, without places to do it that can be managed properly, areas like 38 will continue to come under more pressure and unfortunately will not see much in the way of maintenance due to the risk of being caught and the penalties involved.

This is only one example, there are plenty more, and it's these kinds of logical arguments which will heard.

So think about the situations that apply to you and why you think having a bike park at Stevens Pass will benefit the bike community and the other organizations involved and write it down.

Forums like this can be a perfect place to bounce ideas of people and have others read drafts of letters before they are sent. Things can be discussed in public and in private so don't hesitate to chime in.

Cheers!

--matt

 

[knittingfiend]

Can't make the meeting but would appreciate updates....I support getting some quality places to ride, as close to home as possible!

Edit: I'm not a racer but I'm a dedicated enthusiast. These types of trails aren't just for competitors, but the "casual" (read: too poor to compete) riders find great value in them, too.

 

[MattPatt]

A quick update on the meeting location for this considering coming.

Greetings!

The following clarifies the location of the room for the Public Open House:

What: Public Open House on the Stevens Pass MDP Phase 1 NEPA Analysis
When: Wednesday, June 25, 2008 from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm.
Where:
3000 Rockefeller Avenue, Everett, WA 98201
Snohomish County Administration Building "East" (the new side)*
Public Meeting Room #1 (on the 1st floor, in the South West corner)

*the Surface Water Management Office is also in the SNO CO Admin BLDG
but otherwise has nothing to do with the meeting location and was
mentioned previously in error.

How: This office can be reached easily by public transportation and parking
is also available nearby.

 

[bent^biker]

planning on being at the meeting. Anybody want to carpool from the mill creek area. We really ought to get some of the folks that put blackrock to come help out. They know how to git'r'done.

 

[MattPatt]

Unfortunately I won't be able to make it to the meeting tonight due to health reasons. I've asked Tristyn, a Dirt Corps member to attend our behalf.

Interested to hear peoples reactions after the meeting.

 

[knittingfiend]

Well, anyone care to summarize??

 

[Stevenspass]

The meeting went as well as expected. There was a light turnout but good discussion. This meeting was mostly an overview of the project. If you have reviewed our MDP and the project on line you pretty much already knew.

If you have not already go the to the FS website for more info.

http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/mbs/projects/stevens-pass-mdp/index.shtml

Joel

 

[MattPatt]

This is a just a reminder to people out there that there is still a couple of days left to provide your comments to the Forest Service regarding the proposed Bike Park plans for Stevens Pass.

I'm incredibly excited about the prospect of having a bike park this close and I want to share my letter of support with the community in the hope that it will be a "Call to Action" for you guys to do something similar.

My mum always told me, you don't get what you don't ask for (smart lady).

Here's the letter:



To whom it may concern:

I am one of the founders of an organization of mountain bikers called the Dirt Corps which represents a large group of mountain bikers residing in Western Washington and I am writing this letter to communicate our support of the plans for a bike park at Stevens Pass.

The past decade has seen the sport of mountain biking evolve considerably as new technology and improved technique has fueled new styles of riding collectively known as Downhill and Freeride mountain biking. Ski areas like Whistler in B.C. Canada have been at the forefront of this new wave, pioneering the concept of lift-assisted mountain bike activities at their Whistler Bike Park (WBP).

Naturally, the riding community I represent, living within a reasonable driving distance of Whistler have been making the trip north since the WBP’s inception. For as long as we have been making the 5+ hour drive each way we have often dreamed of the possibility of having a place to ride of similar quality that was closer to home. Lately it has become more and more expensive to go to Whistler on a regular basis due to the increasing price of fuel and the accommodation expense, so as one can imagine, when Stevens Pass announced they were in talks with the Forest Service to build a bike park within an hour and half drive of the vast majority of mountain bikers in this area, there was a great deal of excitement!

The Dirt Corps in addition to being an advocacy group for Freeride and Downhill mountain bikers field a race team of roughly 20 amateur and semi-professional riders. Unfortunately there are no legal places for our team to practice within a reasonable distance at present and if we want to get better we have no choice but to do so on trails such as those in the I-90 corridor which are under increasing pressure and receive little to no maintenance since they aren’t recognized by the land managers as legitimate bike trails. Stevens Pass Bike Park will go a long way towards improving this situation for us and many of the other 300+ downhillers present at the most recent Fluidride Cup race held in Port Angeles WA.

Downhill Mountain biking racing has become a hugely popular sport worldwide with a world cup circuit comprised of super-star athletes, crazed fans and races on 5 different continents. Unfortunately though for the USA, in part due to a lack of training facilities, there have been precious few Americans on podiums or events on home soil since the late 1990’s. Places like Stevens Pass represent a huge opportunity for riders interested in training to be world-class athletes, particularly aspiring young riders with world cup dreams.

Beyond the clear benefit to members of the Dirt Corps and other mountain bikers in the area, the Stevens Pass Bike Park (SPBP) offers real potential benefits to other organizations. From a business perspective there are fiscal reasons in support of this, for the resort company, local businesses and the state and federal tax revenue. The Forest Service stands to benefit in that pressure from illegal bike trail building and use should decrease. At present there are far too few places for Downhillers and Freeriders to enjoy their sport, and as the number of riders continues to increase there is inevitably going to be an increase in the amount of unauthorized activity on forest service land until there are suitable legitimate places to ride.

Other recreational groups also stand to benefit from these plans for similar reasons. Environmental concerns over the impact of trail construction are going to be lower when professional trail construction firms like Gravity Logic are involved in bike park design and construction.

The Dirt Corps urge you to move forward on the decision to support the Master Development Plan for Stevens Pass. We look forward to many enjoyable summers riding our bikes at Stevens Pass.

Sincerely,
Matthew Patterson
Co-Founder
Dirt Corps

 

[SeaPig]

I have my write-up on the meeting up on Bones Over Metal.com

Like Matt Pointed out, if you have something to add to the scoping letter, do so by July 3rd. I know that they brought up that they were looking for environmental concerns in order to mitigate them, but I bet they would also love to have the input of someone who had already worked to mitigate these kind of concerns.

Also, we have several write ups on Bones Over Metal.com under the Land Advocacy category that cover Duthy, Colonade, and a recent DNR meeting. I think you'll find some interesting tidbits in these write ups.