A new United States Forest Service proposal to regulate non-motorized recreation in the La Sal Mountains near Moab is creating a stir among the outdoor community, pitting mountain bikers against hikers and equestrians. The proposed new rules will make certain trails off-limits to cyclists and also prohibit commercial shuttle buses to La Sal Pass.
According to the Moab Times, public comment on the plan (which includes two alternatives) has already been taken and a final decision by Forest Service District Ranger, Michael Diem, is scheduled for May. The first alternative calls for 50.5 miles of new trails to be built, while the second would close 5.8 miles of existing trails to all users and exclude 25.2 miles of current trails to mountain bikers.
The new rules would go into effect this summer or fall – just in time for peak mountain bike season in the La Sals.
The closure of trails on National Forest Service land is a battle on the federal level that is being fought not just in Utah, but Sedona, Arizona as well. In both places, attempts to ban mountain bikes from trails that have been enjoyed by fat-tire lovers for decades have succeded or are under proposal. Recent plans or actual closures have also happened in Montana, California and Colorado, which points to a trend in Forest Service management policies indicating a discriminatory bias towards mountain bikers.
You can read the link from the Moab Times below for a more detailed look at the issue. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that the USFS makes the right decision in May and keeps mountain biking alive and well in the La Sal Mountains.
Update: Brian Murdock, the Recreation and Trails Manager for the Moab Ranger District on the Manti- La Sal National Forest, sent in a response to the issue. In it, he says the Whole Enchilada will not be affected, nor will shuttle service to Geyser Pass (which I wrongfully printed in a previous version of this article.) I’ve posted his response below:
“The proposal does not involve restricting shuttle service on the Whole Enchilada Trail. The Forest Service works closely with all of our authorized shuttle companies and we have a good working relationship, we see the service they provide as a valuable part of the overall trail and recreation management in the La Sals. The only restrictions on commercial shuttle use being proposed is to prohibit commercial shuttles to La Sal Pass. Commercial shuttles do not currently use La Sal Pass and the restriction is being proposed so that we have an area where heavy commercial shuttle use would not occur in the future in the range.”
“The Forest Service views responsible mountain biking as a valid use of public lands. The purpose of the proposal is primarily to provide a wide range of sustainable trail opportunities in the La Sals in appropriate places, while minimizing impacts to other forest resources and other user groups. We are currently analyzing 4 different alternatives concerning trail use in the La Sals. We have worked extensively with local biking groups and bikers, hikers, equestrians, climbers, skiers and conservation groups on this project. Some of the alternatives will analyze the possibility of changing the designation of several trails as open to foot and horse only. The trails that are being looked at for this designation change are trails that currently receive very little bike use. None of the popular bike trails such as the Whole Enchilada, Moonlight Meadows, UPS, Kokopelli, Fisher Mesa, Trans-La Sal, Clark Lake, Boren Mesa, Schumann Gulch or Warner to Oowah would be closed to mountain bikes.”
The proposal is not an attempt to discriminate against mountain bikers, but simply a management proposal that would maintain and enhance trail opportunities and create a wide range of trail experiences for the recreating public.”