HR 1349 "Wheels over Wilderness"

[Foldem]

Email sent to Congressman Perlmutter asking him not to support HR 1349. Lets keep Wilderness as it was intended with no mechanized travel allowed.

Kevin

 

[Poser]

The bill does not give blanket access, but leaves it up to managers discretion. I read the bill yesterday but I cannot currently find the link. Scott Tipton is my Rep too and I said vote nay.

G

Mountain Bikes Inch Closer to Potential Wilderness Access | BIKE Magazine

 

[Violent Hippie]

Leave mountain bikes out of wilderness areas. The horses ( I do not ride them) are enough IMO and if you are unable or unwilling to walk in then go elsewhere. Its getting harder and harder to have some alone time with just you and the critters and not see other people these days in the lower 48 as it is . Bikes in wilderness ..... Nah. For the record I mountain bike a good bit.

 

[darcytribe]

email sent in Missouri

 

[Schaaf]

I would also point out wheelchairs are allowed in Wilderness areas under the 1990 American Disability Act.

https://www.wilderness.net/toolboxes/documents/accessibility/FS_Law_Reg_policy_wheelchairs.pdf

This is a wolf in sheeps clothing trying to convince you they’re for access. I ride my bike on public land more than 100 days per year and do not support this movement one bit.

 

[rayporter]

e mail sent -nnooooooo to rubber

 

[ramont]

Not really sure what you're implying here?

It's a paraphrase of the famous quote from the Animal Farm by George Orwell, basically I'm amused by the basic argument here, specifically; I want access to public lands, lands that belong to all of the public, but I don't want some of the public to have access because they use equipment to access the public land.

Not everyone that wants to enjoy the beauty of Wilderness areas is a young,healthy person with enough cash to take weeks off to hike around, some of us are older people that can't walk for many miles carrying a pack or we haven't got enough money to take the time required to hike in to remote areas. I don't like mountain bikers so I'm not really upset if they loose access but I guess having to put up with them is something that I'll have to get used since I like the idea of being able to bicycle in to the Wilderness areas. I also like the idea of being able to harvest game using a cart or some other wheeled device.

 

[realunlucky]

It's not fair if I have access it like everyone else because I'm special and like riding my bike. Hey guy plenty of places to ride so few wild places left. Please don't screw up a valuable resource for a few special people

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[jmden]

This is the biking industry trying to get access. This would totally change the face and feel of wilderness. Give the masses of bikers one foot in the door and that will be it. This was not the intent of the Wilderness Act of 1964 and I, for one, think it's shameful that a bill like this is where it is. Those of us that work hard to get way back in the backcountry...if this passed, and 'managers' allowed it, there'd be bikes everywhere. Those of you who truly know what designated wilderness is (I'm not sure that half the folks even understand this federal designation and what it means...) and also know how areas are highly used by mountain bikers, well, you can see what would happen. I've seen mountain bikers high up in the mountains in areas that arean't designated as wilderness...that would happen everywhere if they are allowed a foot in the door. I like mountain biking and mountain bikers, but this is not the place for them. Keep the bikes out!

 

[twall13]

It's a paraphrase of the famous quote from the Animal Farm by George Orwell, basically I'm amused by the basic argument here, specifically; I want access to public lands, lands that belong to all of the public, but I don't want some of the public to have access because they use equipment to access the public land.

Not everyone that wants to enjoy the beauty of Wilderness areas is a young,healthy person with enough cash to take weeks off to hike around, some of us are older people that can't walk for many miles carrying a pack or we haven't got enough money to take the time required to hike in to remote areas. I don't like mountain bikers so I'm not really upset if they loose access but I guess having to put up with them is something that I'll have to get used since I like the idea of being able to bicycle in to the Wilderness areas. I also like the idea of being able to harvest game using a cart or some other wheeled device.

I'm not trying to ruffle any feathers here, but I strongly disagree with your take on this. There are plenty of areas where you can hunt with an atv, bike, whatever mode of transportation you like. There are so few wilderness areas and we can't afford to let them go. I don't fall in to the "older people" category that you describe as not being able to walk many miles or carry a pack but by the time I do fall in to that category I'll have years worth of cherished memories of the times I was able to spend in the backcountry. At that point, I'll be plenty content with whatever my body will allow me to do and, even though I won't be able to enjoy the backcountry wilderness areas like I do now, I'll still want wilderness areas for my children and grandchildren to enjoy and have the same opportunity I've had to connect with nature. Everyone makes different life choices, but the fact that someone chooses not to spend time in wilderness areas when their body is young and able should not mean they should be catered to and provided with special accommodations as they age.

I also disagree with the premise of your argument stating "I don't want some of the public to have access because they use equipment to access the public land." I do want all of the public to have the same access. Just because you can't ride a bike in a wilderness areas doesn't mean you can't enjoy the wilderness area. You can enjoy it the same as me. I'm not allowed to use a bike there either. It's not discrimination against "some of the public", it's not allowing a specific use on that land. I don't feel like all land should be open to everything. Just like I feel there is a place for mining and oil drilling, etc., that doesn't mean every area should be open to those activities. It's a restriction on a specific use, it doesn't prohibit someone from hiking back there just because they consider themselves a mountain biker.

 

[Szwampdonkey]

Maybe I'm just reluctant to see change but this seems like a step in the wrong direction. There is considerably more FS land that allows all of the wheels and opening up Wilderness just doesn't seem necessary in any way. The whole concept of Wilderness is that it is land that is "undisturbed" by man. Adding wheels would only increase the disturbance.

In August-September of 2016 I bowhunted high country mule deer in CO near the continental divide (non wilderness). There were bike trails that were maintained by a local bike club and the trail was mostly 4' wide. When I say "maintained" what I mean is that they trimmed trees and bushes away from the trail to keep the width around 4'. On two different days I was hiking the trail and was nearly run over by mountain bikers that were bombing down the grade on the trail that wound through clumps of bushes. It was windy and hard to hear them coming. After I jumped out of one guy's way that SOB screamed that I shouldn't be wearing camouflage on a bike trail.

No way do I want to have to deal with that in a wilderness area. Keep the wheels out of wilderness!

This sorta thing is the problem with CO in general. WAY too many non hunters out there nowadays. Now dont get me wrong, i have no problem with non hunters using wilderness areas in general as they certainly have a right to it. Its more the non hunters who give little to no respect to us hunters and feel the wilderness is simply their playground and hunters are only in the way of that. That sorta thing seems to really be on the rise in CO in particular, sadly.

But I agree adding more and more "easy" access to wilderness areas is a bad thing.

 

[young7.3]

Emailed my rep

 

[THBZN]

Thanks elkstabber for drafting this - easy to do and your letter is spot on. And you are right; if you're not reaching out to your state's Rep, you are just spewing an opinion. Every single poster on this topic needs to contact their Rep and make their voice heard. I live in Montana, and this issue hits on many nerves. Good old moneybags Gianforte just got my thoughts via email....

Here is how to take action. Find your representative.

Find Your Representative | House.gov

Enter your zip code and then find the button to email your representative. You can only email one representative from what I could find.

Email him/her with your opinion. Here is what I posted. You are welcome to copy what I wrote and modify it for your state. This should take you about 2 minutes to make a difference.

Dear Mr. Scott,

HR1349 has recently passed through the Natural Resources committee and will be coming to your attention soon. While this bill appears to be a respectable idea it is in fact in direct opposition to the original intent of the designation "Wilderness".

The idea of the bill is to allow bicycles and trails into wilderness areas, which will result in much greater human disturbance. Wilderness areas are chosen and designated because of their uniqueness to the surrounding environment. Wilderness areas are currently only allowed to be accessed by hiking or horseback riding and don't allow any use of motors or engines (no vehicles nor chainsaws) so that humans have the least impact on the land and wildlife. Wilderness represents only 3% of federally owned land and the remaining 97% of federal land is presently open to bicycles.

I have hunted, fished, and camped in wilderness areas in four states (including Virginia's James River Face Wilderness) and have enjoyed the solitude and reward of my efforts after a long hike. I believe that allowing bicycles and other wheeled vehicles to cut trails into wilderness areas will permanently impact and destroy the solitude in America's last wild places.

For a more detailed explanation written in Outside magazine you can read it here:

Op-Ed: 5 Lies Being Used to Get Mountain Bikes in Wilderness | Outside Online

Thank you for your consideration.


NOTICE THAT THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO HAVE AN EFFECT. YOU HAVE TO VOICE YOUR OPINION TO YOUR REPRESENTATIVE. YOU CAN CALL THEM IF YOU PREFER. IF YOU POST YOUR OPINION HERE AND HAVEN'T VOICED YOUR OPINION TO YOUR REPRESENTATIVE YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED NOTHING.

I wish there was a better way to say this. You and your opinion don't matter if you don't express it to your representative.

 

[George]

If you are too old to walk the trails, say for example the trails in my area into the Weminuche, then you are also too old to bike them.

G

 

[ramont]

I've never seen so many selfish people with so little empathy in one place.

 

[justinspicher]

Out here in my area, the wilderness is full of down trees, makes it hard to walk, so I’m sure biking is out of the question.

 

[twall13]

I've never seen so many selfish people with so little empathy in one place.

I'm selfish and lack empathy because I want to preserve something for future generations? It's okay to have a differing opinion; that doesn't make us selfish. I personally appreciate the difference of opinion as it helps everyone look at things from a different perspective and helps, hopefully, create meaningful dialogue.

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[George]

I've never seen so many selfish people with so little empathy in one place.

You need to go for a hike in the Bob.

G

 

[307]

I've never seen so many selfish people with so little empathy in one place.

You evidently don't get out much. To preserve the nature of wilderness, it cannot confirm to the current political climate where everyone must receive the participation award. We are all guaranteed equal opportunity, but not equal outcome.

 

[Foldem]

I've never seen so many selfish people with so little empathy in one place.

Why don't we just put roads in all the wilderness so people that can't hike in can drive in to enjoy the solitude and beauty?