The following press release was issued by IMBA. It announced that the Bureau of Land Management had adopted a plan for mountain biking on its vast land holdings. This could be the best move for the sport in three years. Passive-use advocates like the Sierra Club and other Wilderness-related groups have been pushing hard to limit mountain biking’s access to BLM land as legislation was being passed.
It is impossible to emphasize how important it is for mountain bikers that they keep land access burning by writing and emailing politicians and other government officials whenever an issue arises. Send IMBA ten dollars with a thank-you note to celebrate our victory. Check out the release.
IMBA Happy With The New BLM Mountain Biking Program
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), has published a final National Mountain Bike Strategic Action Plan to manage mountain biking on 262 million acres of BLM public land. This 31-page document is the largest mountain bike management plan ever created by any land agency.
Yesterday, the plan was presented at the National Trails Symposium, Orlando, Florida. It addresses the needs of mountain bikers and leaves the majority of decision-making to local managers. The plan can also be adapted as the sport develops.
After receiving a lot of feedback from IMBA leaders, and members on BLMs Off-Highway Vehicle Strategy, the BLM decided to create a mountain bike-specific strategy last year. The original plan was to combine mountain bike management with motorized vehicle management. The new plan was shaped in large part by mountain bikers. The BLM received thousands of comments from cyclists, sent a team to the 2002 IMBA Mountain Bike Advocacy Summit and had Mark Flint, a long-standing IMBA advocate, as an advisor. The American Hiking Society and other organizations recommended that bicycling be prohibited from national conservation areas. However, the BLM didn’t adopt these suggestions. The IMBA believes that the BLM’s 10-year plan is positive and proactive. It provides constructive advice for local managers, recognizes changing demographics and identifies new trailbuilding and bicycle technologies. The plan also discusses other issues specific to mountain biking. Now, the BLM must implement the plan. IMBA will provide technical assistance and volunteer resources to the agency. The plan can be found at: