The anti-access groups will stop at nothing til every inch of forest is designated Wilderness. Never mind that millions of acres don’t meet the definition of Wilderness as defined in the Wilderness Act of 1964. Once it’s gone, it’s gone forever. The mtn bikers are with us, since Wilderness does not allow MTB. And yes, there are plenty of hiking only trails in the state.
Have you heard of the Hidden Gems Wilderness Bill? It’s just one bill where 243,000 acres of multi-use trails will go poof. Millions of acres have been wrongly designated as Wilderness over the last ten years. There will be few trails to ride a dirt bike or even a MTB in another 10 years if we don’t stop them.
More info on Hidden Gems: http://www.sharetrails.org/alerts/?alert=1179
BRC ACTION ALERT
MEETINGS ANNOUNCED FOR HIDDEN GEMS WILDERNESS BILL
PLEASE ATTEND OR CONTACT YOUR CONGRESSMAN
Dear BRC member and supporter in Colorado,
After over a year of wrangling between local governments, mountain bikers, cattlemen, snowmobilers and off-highway vehicle enthusiasts, the Hidden Gems Campaign has formally submitted a proposal to U.S. Representative Jared Polis.
Its worthwhile to note that the original Hidden Gems proposal was pegged at just under 600,000 acres, but the proposal submitted to Rep. Polis stands at 243,000 acres of public lands managed by the White River National Forest and Bureau of Land Management.
Kudos to local snowmobile clubs as well as the White River Forest Alliance who have worked diligently to defend recreational access to these prized Colorado backcountry destinations.
While the proposal has been drastically reduced, it is still fatally flawed. One key flaw is that few of the acres actually meet the definition of Wilderness as outlined in the 1964 Act. These acres are best managed by the existing Forest Plan or perhaps a more recreation friendly designation such as a National Recreation Area. Other key flaws are the closure of some prized snowmobile and OHV areas including Elliot Ridge, Hoosier Ridge, Porcupine and Ten Mile in Summit County. Eagle County could also lose Lower Pinney, Freeman Creek, Basalt Mtn, Spradle Creek and No Name.
BRC encourages everyone who can to attend at least one of the open houses. We've included an Action Alert below with the dates, times and locations as well as some additional information.
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