Mountain Bikers BANNED at Valley Forge SOON
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mtnbkr
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« on: April 02, 2007, 09:31:32 AM »
Please read the below release from IMBA. For us suburban mountain bikers this would be devastating. Please help in any way possible. Contact the Park Superintendant and let him know we are a legit user group who can help his park with their issues.

Dave





Eastern PA Mountain Bike Action Alert: April 2007

For release:

Joe Transue

Eastern PA IMBA Rep

610-533-0942

transue@msn.com

 

Deadline for Public comment: April 6th, 2007

 

Recently Valley Forge National Historic (VF) Park has published its general master plan and the Eastern PA mountain bike community has become extremely concerned about the verbiage in the VF master plan.  The park management is recommending closure of the trails to mountain bikes with no exclusions. There are three options in the master plan which can be viewed at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/projectHome.cfm?parkId=284&projectId=11314

VF has had a long history of challenges through budgetary concerns, not devoting resources to trail management which has affected the very cause of this alert. The trail system at VF desperately needs the help of not only other user groups but more importantly the mountain bike community. These trails are under-designed and doesn’t have the protocols in place to address trail degradation. Since the trails are closed to mountain biking we feel the park management is excluding one of the most proactive user groups here in Pennsylvania.  Mountain Biking in PA has a long history of riders who embrace our state’s rich tradition of outdoor recreation. On countless state parks and other permissible lands you can find PA mountain bikers riding, maintaining and recently assisting in designing of sustainable trail systems that can be used by all user groups with minimal impact. Land managers, state agencies and private land owners are realizing that the mountain bike community is organizing itself and educating its users and other users on sustainable trail design.

 

The PA mountain bike community is asking your help to encourage the park management to proactively sit down with PA mountain bike advocates to create a partnership in rebuilding and designing the trail system at VF.

 

Please take time to comment and encourage others to do so based on your own personal feelings and based on the following talking points:

Please consider land prescriptions that protect natural resources and allow bicycle access.
Mountain bikers value singletrack experiences in all trail systems like state parks and national park areas.
Shared-use trails are the most efficient use of agency resources and help build a community of trail users.
Please implement policies allowing local clubs to form volunteer partnerships with their local park managers.
Focus on multi-use and bike trails in areas that aren’t being currently used i.e. land across river from non-historic parts
Recognize that trails designed correctly can dramatically decrease impact and better provide users with a more pleasurable experience
Institute a multi-user community patrol system which can be implemented by IMBA.
Many users now utilize national historic parks to recreate and without trail opportunities patron usage can not be fully embraced.
Not allowing bicycle usage can negatively affect other parks and trails systems by shifting usage to other areas.
Reach out to local mountain bike advocates like the local PA IMBA representatives and local advocates to help implement all parts of trail design and construction.
To make public comments online please go to:

http://parkplanning.nps.gov/commentForm.cfm?parkID=284&projectID=11314&documentId=17583

 

 

 

Please contact with your comments to:

Mike Caldwell

Superintendent; Valley Forge National Park

1400 North Outer Line Drive
King of Prussia, PA 19406

Phone

Welcome Center
(610) 783-1077

Fax

(610) 783-1060
« Last Edit: April 02, 2007, 02:54:53 PM by mtnbkr » Logged
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dh_freeride
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« Reply #1 on: April 02, 2007, 03:26:01 PM »
Thanks Dave - as an IMBA member I just received an e-mail about this and the link to submit comments. We all need to do so and be polite, courteous and factual about how Mt. Biking in Valley Forge can bring community support and awareness to issues.
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Mariana.Morris
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« Reply #2 on: April 04, 2007, 09:09:37 AM »
It is VERY easy to submit comments! I highly recommend that you take some time to give your feedback.
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jomissa
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« Reply #3 on: April 04, 2007, 07:54:31 PM »
my friend is a writer and had a discussion with a leader of the VF project...see below.


All,

The end of this week is indeed the deadline to make your opinion felt to
park officials. I spoke to Chief Ranger Lewis Rogers, today. The actual guy
to make your appeal to is Superintendant Mike Caldwell (610) 783-1037.

I was given a copy of the draft plan - a huge manual spiral bound of VFP's
study/proposals.

Rogers said he they are entrusted as stewards of this national historical
park. They have to weigh the balance between community needs/wants and the
greater mission to preserve the place for all citizens of the US for all
time.

Rogers today told me they have heard the arguments that horses create more
damage, leave their poop all over, etc. Also, they are aware this is a
community used recreational resource as well as a national park. I surmised
they've heard it all. But that does not mean well phrased discussion, or
offers to cooperate would fall on deaf ears.

Things Rogers brought up is they believe they have seen evidence of people
randomly chainsawing and pruning and slashing new trails. They also believe
some mtbers like to ride through mud and streams (true), and this is not
being sensitive to some ecosystems.

The park has never been a real mtb park. Fact is, they have not been able to
police it. They are under funded, under manned, and do not feel they have
control, and people are screwing it up.

I asked him if they would listen to requests for cooperation from mtb
group(s) and suggested trail volunteers, possible registration, I don't
know...

I have seen at other trail heads at Fair Hill, rules laid out by, for
instance, the Delaware Trail Spinners, or what ever their name is... They
sort of said "want to keep using the park? DO: this.... DON'T: do this... "

Let's face it. There is abuse. Not saying by whom... They have a place to
manage.

I am not sure what timeline after this "deadline" will follow. I am not sure
how they plan to enforce any "new" rules, if any.

Fact is, it would seem they are if not personally put off, at least they are
aware they have a situation out of control in their opinion.

As a historical park, they are trying to keep the topography and trails
somewhat in keeping with the way they speculate it was at Geo. Washington's
time. Random trails and hacking through and trashing muddy areas is not cool
with them.

This is what I got from talking to Rogers.

Pass this to anyone you want (i.e. IMBA, other interested parties), if they
don't already know all this...
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Call_me_Clyde
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« Reply #4 on: April 15, 2007, 08:41:09 AM »
Some more information:

Everything jomissa says is accurate. VF is a historical park and the superintendent has a responsibility to maintain our national treasures. I think this makes perfect sense. An argument could be made regarding the recommendations of the study that basically claims that the trails on the BETZWOOD SIDE (Not across the river, where all the major historical places reside) are not sustainable. This is just not true. Writing to Mike Caldwell should focus on the Betzwood side of the park which for years and years has been used for recreational purposes.

It should also be noted the mountain bikeing in VF, whether it's on the betzwood side or in VF proper is RIGHT NOW ILLEGAL. This proposal has nothing to do with making it illegal. it's just further reinforcement of VF's policy that cycling anywhere other than the paved paths and the gravel, multi-use path that strettches from the bottom of the Betzwood parking lot to Pawlings Road is prohibited. Yes, many people still ride there, but the fact of the matter is it's illegal. Like the Ranger quoted above said, the park doesn't have the resources to patrol the trails. In essence they turn a blind eye.

IMBA is well aware of this situation. Joe Transue (Eastern PA IMBA Rep), and a number of other individuals, myself included have been actively working to try to get VF to back off the no MTBing rule. In addition to writing rebuttals to the proposal that maintains that teh trails in VF are unsustainable, we are trying other means to garner support.

Here's where you can help. there will be a 5 mile run in VF on Saturday April 22nd. Here's a link:

http://www.valleyforge.org/static/index.cfm?contentID=198

I spoke with Joe Transue and asked him for his thoughts on how we might make our voices heard in conjunction with this event. From his perspective, the most positive impact we might have is by supporting the event in some way. He suggested that we ask the race organizers if the local MTB community can assist in being marshalls for the event. We can show that we're serious about sharing the trails and are positive, productive members of the community this way. We can also look at this as a means to foster a relationship with a group who can potentially become an ally in our cause.

Joe would like to be in the position of being able to contact the Valley Forge Convention and Visitors Bureau and let them know we have resources who are willing to assist in marshalling the run. In order to do this, we need local MTBers buy-in and COMMITMENT TO HELP! If you can commit to assisting in marshalling the event, please email me at callmeclyde@gmail.com. We only have a couple of days (if we're not already too late) to get a list of volunteers together, so please respond quickly. If we are able to pull this off, I will contact those who have committed to volunteering with the details of the day's events.

Thanks,

Bob
« Last Edit: April 15, 2007, 08:54:30 AM by Call_me_Clyde » Logged
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