Cycling & bikes - Wilderness ACTION needed <2/16

Jim Hasenauer of IMBA here. Please call your Senator to delay passage
of SB 128. The California North Coast Wilderness Bill is not yet
ready. Committee members are from the follwoing states: NM, ID, WY,
TN, AK, MC, FL, MI, MO, VA, OR, KY, HI, ND, SD, LA, CA, WA, NJ, CO,

It's especially important to call if you're from one of them. Thanks.
Jim Hasenauer

From: "IMBA"
Subject: Nationwide Alert: Senate Bill Threatens California Trails

Nationwide Alert: Senate Bill Threatens California Trails

-- Phone calls urged by Wednesday Feb. 16.

A Senate committee will vote this Wednesday, Feb. 16, on a reintroduced
Wilderness bill that would ban mountain biking from 170 miles of
singletrack trails in Northern California. Mountain bikers nationwide
are
urged to ask their senators to delay action on the bill until suitable
compromises are reached and bicycling is accommodated. Your call is
especially important if your senator is a member of the Senate Energy
and
Natural Resource Committee listed below.

Senate Bill 128 (S. 128), the Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage
Wilderness Act, sponsored by U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), would
designate more than 300,000 acres as federal Wilderness. Popular trails
would be closed such as King's Crest and Lost Coast-Chemise Mountain in
the King Range National Conservation Area and the Red Bud and Judge
Davis
trails near Cache Creek in Lake County. View a complete list of
threatened
trails:
http://www.imba.com/news/action_aler...b_miles_lost.h
tml

IMBA remains firmly dedicated to land conservation and believes that
Wilderness designation is just one of many tools that may be employed
to
protect wild places. When proposed Wilderness Areas include significant
mountain biking opportunities, IMBA proposes alternative land
designations
that protect natural areas while preserving bicycle access.

IMBA supports protecting all lands in the bill, but for one-quarter of
the
areas under consideration, Congress should use protection measures
other
than Wilderness or adjust boundaries to accommodate bicycling.

IMBA believes mountain biking, low-impact, muscle-powered recreation,
is
an appropriate use of trails on public lands and is consistent with the
values of Wilderness land protection which includes recreation in
natural
landscapes.

Talking Points:

* Senate Bill 128 needs to better accommodate bicycling and is not
ready
for passage. Please delay action in the Senate and House until
suitable
compromises are reached.

* This bill would close more than 170 miles of singletrack trails to
bicycling.

* IMBA supports protecting all the lands in S. 128, but for one-quarter
of
the areas under consideration, Congress should use methods other than
Wilderness to preserve the land while keeping trails open to mountain
biking.

* Wilderness is not the only way to protect public lands. Why must land
protection often mean eliminating bicycling opportunities?

* Mountain biking started in California and is a popular sport - 5.2
million Californians participated last year (Outdoor Industry
Association).

* Mountain biking brings significant revenue to the state's economy
through bicycle related industry, tourism, bike shops, touring
companies
and more.

* Mountain biking is low-impact, muscle-powered recreation and is an
appropriate use of trails on public lands. IMBA members highly value
land
conservation, clean water and clean air.

* IMBA supports new Wilderness designations where they don't close
singletrack bicycling opportunities.

* Bicyclists simply want to continue to ride on trails that have been
open
to them for years.

* Recreation science indicates that bikes affect natural resources no
more
than hikers or horses - two user groups allowed on Wilderness trails.

Action Steps:

1. Call your two U.S. senators using the Capitol switchboard (202)
224-3121. (To learn the name of your state's senators go to
http://www.congress.org and type in your zip code.) Members of the
Senate
Energy and Natural Resources Committee are listed below.

2. Politely tell them you are calling in regards to S. 128 (Northern
California Coastal Wild Heritage Wilderness Act) and use the talking
points above. If the senator is not a member of the committee, your
comments are still important because the entire U.S. Senate will be
asked
to vote on the bill before it goes to the U.S. House of
Representatives.

3. Please provide your name and address so that they know you are a
constituent. Senators respond best to callers from their home state -
if
you don't give them contact information, your call probably won't
count.

4. If you would rather fax a letter, call your senator's office to get
the
proper fax number and staff member assigned to the bill. Make sure to
fax
your comments by Wednesday. Email comments are not recommended.

--
Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee

Chairman Pete Domenici, New Mexico (202) 224 - 6621
Larry Craig, Idaho (202) 224 - 2752
Craig Thomas, Wyoming (202) 224 - 6441
Lamar Alexander, Tennessee (202) 224 - 4944
Lisa Murkowski, Alaska (202) 224 - 6665
Richard Burr, North Carolina (202) 224 - 3154
Mel Martinez, Florida (202) 224 - 3041
James Talent, Missouri (202) 224 - 6154
Conrad Burns, Montana (202) 224 - 2644
George Allen, Virginia (202) 224 - 4024
Gordon Smith, Oregon (202) 224 - 3753
Jim Bunning, Kentucky (202) 224 - 4343
Jeff Bingaman (Ranking Member), New Mexico (202) 224 - 5521
Daniel Akaka, Hawaii (202) 224 - 6361
Byron Dorgan, North Dakota (202) 224 - 2551
Ron Wyden, Oregon (202) 224 - 5244
Tim Johnson, South Dakota (202) 224 - 5842
Mary Landrieu, Louisiana (202) 224 - 5824
Dianne Feinstein, California (202) 224 - 3841
Maria Cantwell, Washington (202) 224 - 3441
Jon Corzine, New Jersey (202) 224 - 4744
Ken Salazar, Colorado (202) 224 - 5852

--

Read IMBA's Strategy for Wilderness and Mountain Biking:
http://www.imba.com/news/news_releas...ilderness.html

Attend IMBA's 24 Hours of D.C. - April 6-7
http://www.imba.com/news/news_releas.../01_06_dc.html
--

About IMBA

Founded in 1988, the International Mountain Bicycling Association is a
nonprofit educational association whose mission is to create, enhance
and
preserve trail opportunities for mountain bikers worldwide by
encouraging
low-impact riding, volunteer trailwork, cooperation among different
trail
user groups and innovative trail management solutions. IMBA's worldwide
network is comprised of individual members, bicycle clubs, corporate
partners and bicycle retailers.