Recreation.
We all engage in it. We all cherish its therapeutic values and ability to bring us closer to nature. In fact, it’s the primary driver for many of us choosing to live and work in the Gunnison Valley. But it does have impacts, and those impacts to wildlife are increasing every year as more people recreate on public lands with newer and faster modes of travel.
Enter into the land-management equation electric motorized bicycles, or “e-bikes” (the latter fails to convey the fact that these vehicles are motorized).
In April, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) initiated a rulemaking to significantly expand the use of electric motorized bicycles on public lands. This rule would “direct” local BLM land managers to “generally allow” all classes of electric motorized bicycles on non-motorized trails. This includes motorized bikes that require no pedaling at all – class 2 bikes that can be powered by simply holding one’s thumb on the throttle. This isn’t “human-powered” recreation – it is motorized use, plain and simple, and the new rule would allow this use anywhere non-motorized bikes are currently allowed.
BLM has thousands of miles of roads and trails open to electric motorized bicycle use across the country.[1] Yet, instead of using the authorities it already has, BLM intends to change the rules by redefining these motorized vehicles as non-motorized, and directing its officers to allow their use through land-use planning processes.
This is a short-sighted approach, especially if you care about the viability of wildlife populations on public lands. There is evidence that a greater speed of trail use displaces wildlife further away from trails.[2] Electric motorized bicycles generally allow trail users to travel at higher average rates of speed than traditional muscle-powered modes of transportation. Allowing faster modes of travel on trails would result in greater impacts on wildlife due to a larger trail zone of influence, further limiting quality habitat and habitat security. Those trail users who value viewing wildlife would find it more difficult to see wildlife as animals would be further away from bike trails.
Please take five minutes to urge BLM to keep the existing non-motorized trails we have non-motorized.
E-bikes are motorized vehicles and belong on motorized trails. Encourage BLM to keep non-motorized trail networks – fought for by local communities across the country – non-motorized, so that hikers, hunters, traditional mountain bikers, and other human-powered recreationists can enjoy trails free from motors. Comments are due by Tuesday, June 9.
[1] According to the 2010 Gunnison Travel Management Plan, electric motorized bicycles are currently allowed on 996 miles of local BLM managed road and 50 miles of motorized trail. Of 22 miles of non-motorized trail outside of wilderness, 14 miles are open to mountain bike use.
[2] Wisdom, M. J. et al. 2018. Elk responses to trail-based recreation on public forests. Forest Ecology and Management; Wisdom, M.J. et al. 2004. Effects of off-road recreation on mule deer and elk. Transactions of the North American Wildlife and Natural Resource Conference.