Republican Senators Orrin Hatch (UT) and Mike Lee (UT) introduced a bill (Human-Powered Travel in Wilderness Act - ARP16179) on July 14, the the last day before Congress recessed. If passed, the law would give individual government land managers the discretion to decide whether mountain bikes are allowed on the Wilderness-designated public lands they control.
Even though this bill was introduced by Utah's Senators, it would affect all Wilderness Areas, including our own Granite Chief Wilderness and the Western States Trail.
For opinions from the Denver Post CLICK HERE.
"More than 115 conservation groups in February sent a letter to Congress urging legislators to reject any effort to introduce machines to wilderness areas, arguing that the “benefits of an enduring resource of wilderness would be forever lost by allowing mechanized transport in these areas.”"
the Clearwater Tribune (UT) newspaper CLICK HERE. "For over 50 years the Wilderness Act has protected wilderness areas designated by Congress from mechanization and mechanical transport, even if no motors were involved with such activities. This has meant, as Congress intended, that Wilderness has been kept free from cars, trucks, ATVs, snowmobiles, bicycles, and all other types of motorized and mechanized transport."
From The Spokesman (UT) newspaper, for complete article CLICK HERE: "The Wilderness Act was written after years of debate and approved a half century ago with the intention of keeping some of our wildest lands free from cars, trucks, ATVs, snowmobiles, bicycles, and all other types of motorized and mechanized transport. The new legislation is a violation of wilderness values and stab at weakening the act.
IMBA does not support this bill. And some mt. bikers are opposed - here is an interesting blog from one: CLICK HERE. This opinion (from a mt. biker's perspective) shows how the lobby money flowed into Hatch and Lee to introduce a bill regarding something that they have never shown interest in before.
To read the complete bill "Human-Powered Travel in Wilderness Act " APR16179 CLICK HERE.
Even though this bill was introduced by Utah's Senators, it would affect all Wilderness Areas, including our own Granite Chief Wilderness and the Western States Trail.
For opinions from the Denver Post CLICK HERE.
"More than 115 conservation groups in February sent a letter to Congress urging legislators to reject any effort to introduce machines to wilderness areas, arguing that the “benefits of an enduring resource of wilderness would be forever lost by allowing mechanized transport in these areas.”"
the Clearwater Tribune (UT) newspaper CLICK HERE. "For over 50 years the Wilderness Act has protected wilderness areas designated by Congress from mechanization and mechanical transport, even if no motors were involved with such activities. This has meant, as Congress intended, that Wilderness has been kept free from cars, trucks, ATVs, snowmobiles, bicycles, and all other types of motorized and mechanized transport."
From The Spokesman (UT) newspaper, for complete article CLICK HERE: "The Wilderness Act was written after years of debate and approved a half century ago with the intention of keeping some of our wildest lands free from cars, trucks, ATVs, snowmobiles, bicycles, and all other types of motorized and mechanized transport. The new legislation is a violation of wilderness values and stab at weakening the act.
IMBA does not support this bill. And some mt. bikers are opposed - here is an interesting blog from one: CLICK HERE. This opinion (from a mt. biker's perspective) shows how the lobby money flowed into Hatch and Lee to introduce a bill regarding something that they have never shown interest in before.
To read the complete bill "Human-Powered Travel in Wilderness Act " APR16179 CLICK HERE.
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