WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!

[BFD]

I received the following email this morning from C.O.M.B.A. - The Colorado Mountain Bike Association...We can't let this happen in Colorado...If the proposed changes happen it could set the precedent for other trails to be hacked to pieces and restricted from mountain bikers!
PLEASE READ...PLEASE ACT!!
***
You'll recall that back in May Jefferson County Open Space (JCOS) published notice regarding a management plan review for Apex - Apex Park: Improving Visitor Experiences. This process included public comment and open house meetings, both in which COMBA took an active role. Subsequently, at the August OSAC meeting COMBA formally presented our position, which we believed to be fair and equitable while promoting MTB use at this popular destination- where mountain bikers make up the majority of users. Our proposal was well thought out, having consulted with IMBA on advanced management strategies which have proven successful elsewhere around the country; likewise, our plan garnered the support of local bike shops and Jeffco-based bicycle manufacturers (Yeti Cycles, Spot Brand, Maverick).

On September 9th, JCOS issued a press release indicating the revised plan is complete. Much to our dismay, the proposed solution is --in our opinion-- a thinly-veiled attempt to push mountain bikers out of Apex Park entirely. With stated objectives which included: "Eliminate 'downhill biking' (shuttling)", and "Minimize new trail construction", this misguided plan calls for travel restrictions against only cyclists, including making Enchanted Forest an uphill-only trail for mountain bikers. Furthermore, mountain bikers would be prohibited from descending on Apex between Sluicebox and Pick N Sledge, thus requiring all bike traffic to climb out of the gulch via Sluicebox, up and around back down Pick N Sledge to the lower trailhead at Heritage Square. To be clear, this management policy would prevent any cyclist from directly descending from top to bottom along Apex, and take away the classic Front Range experience of Enchanted Forest, while severely impeding the popular Up-Chimney-Down-Apex loop.

We encourage you to read the plan for yourself (PDF).

This update is just to make you aware of the situation and to assure you that COMBA opposes this revised plan and will do everything we can to make sure it isn't implemented as policy. To that end, please consider taking two steps to assist in our efforts on your behalf: 1) send a firm yet polite message to the leaders of JCOS indicating your dissent with this plan; 2) plan to attend the October 1st OSAC meeting where JCOS staff will present this plan for approval. To facilitate the former, COMBA has set up an automated email alias which will forward your message in its entirety, untouched by us, to the relevant parties at JCOS: SaveApex@COMBA.org (this also allows us to track our support). Tell all of your friends to do the same.

Additionally, please look to our website in coming days as we roll out our strategy to fight this nonsense. We will most definitely need the full support of the MTB community if we are to succeed. If this policy is ratified, how long until we see notices for "Improving Visitor Experiences at White Ranch" or Chimney Gulch, or Mount Falcon- all of which also share an upper access ingress? We don't intend to find out.

Stay tuned.

[BFD]

bump

[trek7k]

This is worrisome news. One of the things that sets Colorado apart from other states I've lived in is the openness to mountain biking at pretty much every park and open space. Like BFD says, if this happens it could open the door to more restrictions at Apex and other Jeff Co. open spaces like Matthews/Winter Park, Mount Falcon, White Ranch, and Alderfer/Three Sisters just to name a few.

Is IMBA taking a position on this? If they sent an email blast I'm sure there would be plenty of comments in a flash!
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SINGLETRACKS.COM || Bike the net

[SaintTrek]

I just moved to Fort Collins last month and the open spaces and MTBing is awesome... I have even gotten my wife in to it!!! I hope this does not come to pass... Please keep us updated and let me know if a petiton gets started!!!
Mike

[steve32300]

Boy,,,,,,,,,Please make the effort to support mtn bikers rights to trail use at Apex park.Here is another informative link to read up on with contacts to state your concerns;

http://www.5280mtb.com/?p=492#more-492
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quick,,,ride across the rainbow,before it turns to black.

Clydesdale Rider @ 300 plbs.

2007 Stumpjumper elite with a 2008 Fox Talas 32mm.RLC fork.

[BFD]

I'll be in attendance on October 1st for the meeting...I encourage anybody within driving distance to attend as well...we need to show our support for our own community, nobody else is going to...that much is now perfectly obvious. We're being pushed out. Do something about it Mountain Bikers!

[AK_Dan]

Here in Anchorage we have been up against something similar within the Far North Bicentennial Park and adjoining areas, here the original long range plan was written 20 years ago when no one knew just how popular MTB would become, so basically we weren’t even in the plan. The MTB community did just what you are suggesting- we got involved in the planning process, attended meetings and wrote a lot of letters. In the end we did not get all the proposed usage we wanted but we are now a very big part of the long range plan for the park, which now includes the newly created STA Trails and a few more to come.
Keep in mind if you are riding on land that is managed by someone else there is always going to be a give-and-take, and the area riders need to come together like BFD is suggesting here. Just a few renegades can really screw things up for the rest of you, so policing yourselves also comes into the picture. Long story short, your riding on land that is under someone elses management, by becoming a pro-active part of the solution (even if you don’t really see the problem), volunteer days, have the MTB community take on certain projects or problem areas, keep the place clean, etc, you will come out a lot farther ahead in the long run than if you protest each new rule.
Best of luck to you, and keep us posted, Id sure like to ride there someday too!
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Dont sweat all the details, just ride...

[steve32300]

[steve32300]

http://comba.org/node/85

Some more reading about Apex park
_________________
quick,,,ride across the rainbow,before it turns to black.

Clydesdale Rider @ 300 plbs.

2007 Stumpjumper elite with a 2008 Fox Talas 32mm.RLC fork.

[kuala_tahan]

I just sent out emails to a bunch of different people listed in articles posted above and the SaveApex email address listed above, and HIGHLY encourage others to do so as well. I've only ridden the trail a couple times, but this is bigger than just Apex - if this goes through, it's only a matter of time until all of our trails are restricted. Even if you've never ridden Apex, it is a worthy cause to send out an email for all trails in JeffCo, not to mention Boulder County and others in the area. Please take a quick minute and send an email to the SaveApex address posted in this thread. In doing so, you'll be helping mountain bikers throughout the county, state, and country

[steve32300]

http://comba.org/node/91

COMBA is asking concerned trail users to meet at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 1, at the lower Apex Park
parking lot to demonstrate their opposition to the plan. Bikers will then ride over to the Jefferson County
Open Space Administrative Office, 700 Jefferson County Parkway, Suite 100, Golden, Colo., where the
county’s Open Space Advisory Committee is scheduled to consider the Apex Park management plan at 7
p.m.
_________________
quick,,,ride across the rainbow,before it turns to black.

Clydesdale Rider @ 300 plbs.

2007 Stumpjumper elite with a 2008 Fox Talas 32mm.RLC fork.

[BFD]

SADDLE UP PEOPLE!!!

***Apex Park Update***

GOLDEN, Colorado (September 28, 2009) - After meeting with Jefferson County Open Space leaders and other stakeholders, the Colorado Mountain Bike Association board of directors has decided to oppose the county's current proposed plan for managing Apex Park.

COMBA is asking concerned trail users to meet at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 1, at the lower Apex Park parking lot to demonstrate their opposition to the plan. Bikers will then ride over to the Jefferson County Open Space Administrative Office, 700 Jefferson County Parkway, Suite 100, Golden, Colo., where the county's Open Space Advisory Committee is scheduled to consider the Apex Park management plan at 7 p.m.

"We are encouraging folks to bring their bikes and ride to the OSAC meeting in solidarity to ask the members of OSAC to reject the current proposal," COMBA President Terry Breheny said. "Although this plan is touted a 'compromise' position for Jefferson County and is less restrictive than the county's initial proposal, it remains inherently biased against a single user group, in this case mountain bikers.

"In addition to setting dangerous precedent for bike-exclusionary policy, this plan does not address the real issue - the need within JCOS for trails designed and managed for mountain bikers, which would, in fact, also help mitigate the 'speed differential' at crowded multi-use parks. COMBA believes the revised Apex management plan, in its current state, is akin to prescribing aspirin for someone with a broken leg."

The proposed plan limits the direction of travel for mountain bikers on popular trails within Apex Park-where cyclists comprise the majority usage-on an alternating-day schedule. The plan places no travel restrictions on other user groups.

"We are asking the mountain bike community to voice their dissent as soon as possible," Breheny said. "It's crucial that OSAC members have a clear understanding of this plan and the broad opposition to it before making a decision. Again, this plan, which unfairly discriminates against the cycling community, will not solve the underlying problem."

COMBA came to this position following a meeting on Friday, Sept. 25, 2009, between members of the COMBA board of directors, biker representatives from the Trails Use Task Force and Ralph Schell, director of Jefferson County Open Space. The purpose of the meeting, which also included other JCOS managers, was to discuss the county's management proposal for Apex Park ("Revised - Compromised Actions - 9/21/09").

The 90-minute discussion was informative and included prepared comments from JCOS regarding Open Space values and perspectives. Dialogue covered the immediate matter of Apex and also included broader aspects of shared-use policy, user-group needs and other long-term issues. In addition, COMBA presented a counter proposal to Jefferson County that promoted targeted education and outreach - the most requested management tactic during the June public comment period.

"We are disappointed that our counter-proposal for Apex was rejected," COMBA Vice President Jason Bertolacci said. "The COMBA proposal was based on management strategies which have proven successful in parks across the country. The current proposed policy should not be evaluated as just 'lines on a map' by folks who may have never recreated at Apex Park. They need to understand the real world consequences and ramifications for cyclists should this plan get approved."

Breheny concluded, "Regardless of the outcome for Apex, we will move forward with proposals for bike-specific trails or parks with hopes of demonstrating to county officials the value this approach provides to the user-experience of all park users."

[BFD]

Who is going tomorrow night? We need numbers people!
I'd like to have a strong showing of singletracks.com members at this meeting.
Line up, find a buddy, who's coming with me?!

[steve32300]

I'll be at the meeting BFD,I got a B-Day party to go to at 6,although I'm trying to find the way to go for the ride as well.Are you doing the ride as well BFD?
_________________
quick,,,ride across the rainbow,before it turns to black.

Clydesdale Rider @ 300 plbs.

2007 Stumpjumper elite with a 2008 Fox Talas 32mm.RLC fork.

[BFD]

I'll be coming straight from work, so I'll have to drive in order to get to the meeting by 7. I wish I could do the ride though, solidarity is important.