Keep bikes and chainsaws out of wilderness areas

I’d like to make a couple points about the article “Ban on Bikes in Wilderness Challenged” (Whitefish Pilot, Feb. 24).

The article states “STC argues that Congress never intended to impose blanket bans on human-powered travel on trails when it first created the act, but that land managers have since misinterpreted the law.”

Well, the original Wilderness Act in 1964 says “no other form of mechanical transport,” so even though mountain bikes were not specifically mentioned, they still were banned by the original Act. I really think the phrase “no other form of mechanical transport” is not hard to understand. I think that it’s obvious that riding a mountain bike is mechanical transport. So, the Sustainable Trails Coalition is wrong about the intent of the Wilderness Act.

STC wants chainsaws to be brought into the Wilderness. Never mind that you can hear a chain saw for over a mile, and you can hear a crosscut saw for maybe a quarter mile. And two people with a crosscut saw can do just as good as job as someone with a chain saw.

But here’s the rub, the Wilderness Act clearly says “no motorized equipment.” Chainssaws are motorized equipment. Plus, chainsaws are heavy to lug into the wilderness, and you need gas and oil. And if you ever hiked gas into someplace, well, let me tell you, it’s nasty.

Meanwhile, you just put a cross cut saw in its sling an it’s easy to carry. We do need more people trained on how to use crosscut saws. Usually the local Forest Service Districts hold crosscut saw certification classes every spring.

Plus, having mountain bikes in Wilderness areas is expensive.

According to District Forest Ranger Karen Schoyer who manages the Maroon Bells/Snowmass Wilderness in Colorado, “I can tell you that an EIS can cost tens of thousands of dollars and several years to complete…”

So, there are 765 Wilderness areas and if each of them cost on average $10,000 to complete the environmental review, well that’s $7.65 million. And even after all that money is spent, there is no guarantee that mountain biking will be allowed in a Wilderness area.

Meanwhile, having mountain biking out in the middle of nowhere isn’t helping the sport of mountain biking grow. Wilderness Areas are only 2.5 percent of the land area in the lower 48 States, and even Ted Stroll of the Sustainable Trails Coalition says it will never be over 3 percent.

There is not that many areas left that qualify for Wilderness consideration.

Also, according to the Outdoor Foundation, only 3 percent of the population goes mountain biking. So, more mountain biking trail systems are needed closer to the cities and suburbs, not in Wilderness areas.

— Todd McMahon, Madison, Wisconsin