The US Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) proposed Public Lands Rule is currently open for public comment, and if implemented could impact mountain biking on public land in places like Moab, Utah; Fruita, CO; and Sandy Ridge, OR.
So is the proposed rule good or bad for mountain biking? Unfortunately the answer is, no one knows.
The International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA) says it’s difficult for them to say how the proposed rule might impact trail access. The organization is asking riders to submit comments before the July 5 deadline, saying “because of the ambiguity and lack of clear definitions, it is especially important for us to uplift our questions and the voices of mountain bikers.”
At a basic level, the BLM says the proposed Public Lands Rule “would put conservation – both protection and restoration – on an equal footing with other uses,” which include recreation and development. Elevating conservation over the latter is obviously good for mountain bikers’ interests, though the former could potentially limit future recreational trail access.
IMBA allows that mountain biking is not zero impact, though it’s far more conservation-oriented than other activities like resource extraction, grazing, and OHV use. In a frequently asked questions section on the BLM website, the agency says it is proposing the new rule now partly in response to “record numbers of visitors to BLM’s public lands to hunt, fish, hike, and recreate.” Unfortunately it’s unclear if the proposed rules will be used to expand recreational activities in response to record visitation, or restrict them due to the environmental impact.
Read up on the proposed rule change and submit your comments by July 5, 2023.
