Obama administration holding up expanded mountain bike opportunitiesin the National Parks

Of all the terrible stuff G.W. Bush did during his eight years, one
pro-environmental step he took in the waning days of his administration
was to allow superintendents of National Parks to decide which trails
could be open to mountain biking.

Allowing superintendents to remove the restrictions that favor a
minority of users is a key part of building up a constituency that
supports our parks.

Since all the experts agree that mountain biking is no more damaging to
trails, or disruptive to wildlife, than hiking or horseback riding,
it'll be a win-win to open appropriate trails to mountain biking.

On Mar 24, 4:46*pm, SMS wrote:
Of all the terrible stuff G.W. Bush did during his eight years, one
pro-environmental step he took in the waning days of his administration
was to allow superintendents of National Parks to decide which trails
could be open to mountain biking.

Allowing superintendents to remove the restrictions that favor a
minority of users is a key part of building up a constituency that
supports our parks.

Since all the experts agree that mountain biking is no more damaging to
trails, or disruptive to wildlife, than hiking or horseback riding,
it'll be a win-win to open appropriate trails to mountain biking.

coming from the windy and it being a bike city. Maybe some one should
send him a bike and get him off his lazy ass.

On Tue, 24 Mar 2009 13:46:12 -0700, SMS
wrote:

Of all the terrible stuff G.W. Bush did during his eight years, one
pro-environmental step he took in the waning days of his administration
was to allow superintendents of National Parks to decide which trails
could be open to mountain biking.

BS. Bush hates the environment, and this proved it.

Allowing superintendents to remove the restrictions that favor a
minority of users is a key part of building up a constituency that
supports our parks.

Since all the experts agree that mountain biking is no more damaging to
trails, or disruptive to wildlife, than hiking or horseback riding,
it'll be a win-win to open appropriate trails to mountain biking.

BS.

Bicycles should not be allowed in any natural area. They are inanimate
objects and have no rights. There is also no right to mountain bike.
That was settled in federal court in 1994:
http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande/mtb10 . It's dishonest of mountain
bikers to say that they don't have access to trails closed to bikes.
They have EXACTLY the same access as everyone else -- ON FOOT! Why
isn't that good enough for mountain bikers? They are all capable of
walking....

A favorite myth of mountain bikers is that mountain biking is no more
harmful to wildlife, people, and the environment than hiking, and that
science supports that view. Of course, it's not true. To settle the
matter once and for all, I read all of the research they cited, and
wrote a review of the research on mountain biking impacts (see
http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande/scb7 ). I found that of the seven
studies they cited, (1) all were written by mountain bikers, and (2)
in every case, the authors misinterpreted their own data, in order to
come to the conclusion that they favored. They also studiously avoided
mentioning another scientific study (Wisdom et al) which did not favor
mountain biking, and came to the opposite conclusions.

Those were all experimental studies. Two other studies (by White et al
and by Jeff Marion) used a survey design, which is inherently
incapable of answering that question (comparing hiking with mountain
biking). I only mention them because mountain bikers often cite them,
but scientifically, they are worthless.

Mountain biking accelerates erosion, creates V-shaped ruts, kills
small animals and plants on and next to the trail, drives wildlife and
other trail users out of the
area, and (worst of all) teaches kids that the rough treatment of
nature is okay (it's NOT!). What's good about THAT?

For more information: http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande/mtbfaq .
--
I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to
humans ("pure habitat"). Want to help? (I spent the previous 8
years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)

Please don't put a cell phone next to any part of your body that you are fond of!

http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande

George Bush became a fanatical mountain biker
after running injured his knees too much.
He was allegedly a real terror around Camp David
and Crawford on a bike.
His main residence is now in a posh Dallas suburb-
not exactly prime bike country, so I wonder how
he gets his fix now.

On Wed, 25 Mar 2009 06:33:18 -0700 (PDT), "rick++"
wrote:

George Bush became a fanatical mountain biker
after running injured his knees too much.
He was allegedly a real terror around Camp David
and Crawford on a bike.
His main residence is now in a posh Dallas suburb-
not exactly prime bike country, so I wonder how
he gets his fix now.

Probably sticking pins in little Obama dolls....
--
I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to
humans ("pure habitat"). Want to help? (I spent the previous 8
years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)

Please don't put a cell phone next to any part of your body that you are fond of!

http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande

In the previous article, rick++ wrote:
George Bush became a fanatical mountain biker
after running injured his knees too much.
He was allegedly a real terror around Camp David
and Crawford on a bike.
His main residence is now in a posh Dallas suburb-
not exactly prime bike country, so I wonder how
he gets his fix now.

A friend of mine was riding a trail near Dallas (I won't name the
trail) last week, when four black SUVs pulled in. Bush and his SS
guys got out. My friend said Bush was very personable and took time
to take pictures with everyone who wanted them before going on his
ride. (He got one and sent it to me. The dude looks relaxed, I'll
say that for him.)
--
_+_ From the catapult of |If anyone objects to any statement I make, I am
_|70|___=}- J.D. Baldwin |quite prepared not only to retract it, but also
\ / |to deny under oath that I ever made it.-T. Lehrer
***~~~~----------------------------------------------------------------------