MMBA's Mission:
To preserve, protect, and promote mountain bike access and diverse
riding opportunities on Montana's public lands through education,
communication, and unified action.
To preserve, protect, and promote mountain bike access and diverse
riding opportunities on Montana's public lands through education,
communication, and unified action.
"Whatever the social question, a bicycle should be part of the answer"
Threat to Mountain Biking in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge Nation Forest
The Beaverhead-Deerlodge Partnership Strategy is a proposal being forwarded to the Forest Service by a group of timber companies and wilderness groups that trades building new roads and logging timber for the small town mills in exchange for the support of 573,000 acres of new Wilderness in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge forest. Communities to be impacted include Ennis, Dillon, Butte, Anaconda, Deerlodge and Phillipsburg.
The Partnership plan in its current configuration would result in a tremendous loss of access to mountain biking trails in special places throughout the B-D forest. Cyclist were not included for input to this plan and the 16 proposed Wilderness areas cuts the heart out of much of the cherished high alpine riding in Southwest Montana. MMBA appreciates the desire for new Wilderness areas and logs for the mills, but we feel it is short sighted to not seek advice from a quiet, self-powered user group that has an equal, vested interest in the fate of this forest. Cyclists are open to supporting new, socially responsible Wilderness designations and timber management goals when it is part of a larger land access picture that can include Companion Designations, non-Wilderness corridors or cherry stems and boundary adjustments that will protect the land and allow continued bicycle use.
The good news is that a precedent setting agreement has already been negotiated in the B-D in the form of the High Divide Agreement. Representatives from the cycling communities of Anaconda, Butte, and Helena were able to sit down in 2007 with other non-motorized users and forge this agreement that protects and extends the riding opportunities in those areas. The bad news is, that dialogue didn't start until late in the process and focused only on the northern end of the B-D. This leaves many areas in the southern section of the Beaverhead-Deerlodge potentially off limits to mountain bikes. MMBA welcomes the opportunity to have that same dialogue concerning the southern reaches of the Beaverhead-Deerlodge and collaborate with other non-motorized users to better preserve mountain bike riding opportunities and the benefits that go with it.
The economic, social and health contributions of mountain biking around these towns should be nurtured and promoted as an integral piece of forest planning and a lucrative component to the regional recreation mix. Until cyclists are included at the table as equal partners when the future of the B-D forest in being discussed, the B-D Partnership Strategy Plan is little more than a slick pr campaign for a controversial and exclusionary proposal. At first glance, who can resist the feel good image of loggers waltzing with Wilderness folks?
In the spirit and success of the High Divide Agreement , the "Partnership" proposal falls short on building the level of collaboration needed to protect our spectacular B-D NF resources while enabling the communities to fully benefit from the type of quiet, clean and green bicycle tourism that well maintained and promoted trail systems will attract. There are proven business models from around the world where mountain bike tourism has revived and sustained small town economies. Cyclists are good guests and spend money in pursuit of riding and enjoying beautiful singletrack - the holy grail of mountain biking. It will be a win / win for the towns that embrace the greater cycling community as willing, responsible and appreciative partners in preserving and promoting our public trail resources. A solid plan based on science, education, economics, good will and the ability to share will take us far.
A Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the BDNF was released on February 15th and is open for a 45-day comment period. The deadline was extended on April 1st until April 30th for comment. MMBA encourages the public to comment in support of a modified Alternative 6 that best represents our cycling interests. Let's challenge the “Partnership” to rethink their plan, include all stakeholders and build a true partnership that has a chance of succeeding in responsible public land protection and creative, sustainable economic developement.
Please check our write-a-letter page for comment suggestions and appropriate contacts. Your unique comments sent to our elected officials is vital to the preservation of cycling opportunities throughout the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest.
Bikes belong in our National Forests!
"Build it and they will come" cycling success stories.
The Partnership plan in its current configuration would result in a tremendous loss of access to mountain biking trails in special places throughout the B-D forest. Cyclist were not included for input to this plan and the 16 proposed Wilderness areas cuts the heart out of much of the cherished high alpine riding in Southwest Montana. MMBA appreciates the desire for new Wilderness areas and logs for the mills, but we feel it is short sighted to not seek advice from a quiet, self-powered user group that has an equal, vested interest in the fate of this forest. Cyclists are open to supporting new, socially responsible Wilderness designations and timber management goals when it is part of a larger land access picture that can include Companion Designations, non-Wilderness corridors or cherry stems and boundary adjustments that will protect the land and allow continued bicycle use.
The good news is that a precedent setting agreement has already been negotiated in the B-D in the form of the High Divide Agreement. Representatives from the cycling communities of Anaconda, Butte, and Helena were able to sit down in 2007 with other non-motorized users and forge this agreement that protects and extends the riding opportunities in those areas. The bad news is, that dialogue didn't start until late in the process and focused only on the northern end of the B-D. This leaves many areas in the southern section of the Beaverhead-Deerlodge potentially off limits to mountain bikes. MMBA welcomes the opportunity to have that same dialogue concerning the southern reaches of the Beaverhead-Deerlodge and collaborate with other non-motorized users to better preserve mountain bike riding opportunities and the benefits that go with it.
The economic, social and health contributions of mountain biking around these towns should be nurtured and promoted as an integral piece of forest planning and a lucrative component to the regional recreation mix. Until cyclists are included at the table as equal partners when the future of the B-D forest in being discussed, the B-D Partnership Strategy Plan is little more than a slick pr campaign for a controversial and exclusionary proposal. At first glance, who can resist the feel good image of loggers waltzing with Wilderness folks?
In the spirit and success of the High Divide Agreement , the "Partnership" proposal falls short on building the level of collaboration needed to protect our spectacular B-D NF resources while enabling the communities to fully benefit from the type of quiet, clean and green bicycle tourism that well maintained and promoted trail systems will attract. There are proven business models from around the world where mountain bike tourism has revived and sustained small town economies. Cyclists are good guests and spend money in pursuit of riding and enjoying beautiful singletrack - the holy grail of mountain biking. It will be a win / win for the towns that embrace the greater cycling community as willing, responsible and appreciative partners in preserving and promoting our public trail resources. A solid plan based on science, education, economics, good will and the ability to share will take us far.
A Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the BDNF was released on February 15th and is open for a 45-day comment period. The deadline was extended on April 1st until April 30th for comment. MMBA encourages the public to comment in support of a modified Alternative 6 that best represents our cycling interests. Let's challenge the “Partnership” to rethink their plan, include all stakeholders and build a true partnership that has a chance of succeeding in responsible public land protection and creative, sustainable economic developement.
Please check our write-a-letter page for comment suggestions and appropriate contacts. Your unique comments sent to our elected officials is vital to the preservation of cycling opportunities throughout the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest.
Bikes belong in our National Forests!
"Build it and they will come" cycling success stories.
