California, The ‘Birthplace’ of Mountain Biking, Has Never Had a Statewide Mountain Biking Advocacy Group, Until Now.
SACRAMENTO, California, November 21 —The California Mountain Biking Coalition is excited to announce the receipt of their federal nonprofit EIN on October 29, 2019. Their mission is to improve and increase trail access for mountain biking throughout California by providing a unified statewide voice for organizations and individuals.
While there are many effective local organizations, California has needed a better way to coordinate mountain bike advocacy efforts from around the state, such as a forum to help share expertise, best practices and action alerts. That forum has become the CAMTB Slack channel. The conversations there have shaped and guided CAMTB’s formation.
“The interactions we’ve had from around the state have been extremely positive,” according to Susie Murphy, CAMTB board secretary. “They’ve helped identify many gaps and challenges in California mountain bike advocacy that we aim to fill.”
Among CAMTB’s goals are: to engage proactively with State, Regional and Federal land managers and elected officials on behalf of mountain bikers; to track legislation and planning efforts that affect the sport; to facilitate the sharing of best practices among, and help coordinate efforts between member organizations; to educate land managers and the public about mountain biking; and to promote increased diversity in the mountain biking community, all with an underlying commitment to volunteerism, stewardship, sustainability, equity and healthy lifestyle choices.
With its nonprofit status now in place, the organization is accepting applications for an interim Executive Director. A job description is available. The all-volunteer founding board of directors have brought the organization to this point all while running their own organizations, working their jobs, and dealing with life and family. They have diligently carved out time each week to meet, plan, and deliver CAMTB.
“It’s taken quite a commitment,” said board member Steve Messer. “But if we didn’t step up, who else was going to speak for California mountain bikers at the State level?” he added.
CAMTB is now ready to expand their board of directors to broaden the range of available expertise, and to be more representative of their communities. The other most vital need will be funding, with several donor and sponsorship opportunities available. JINS Eyewear became the first Eureka level sponsor, allowing CAMTB to launch.
The organization’s membership model, committee structures, and foundational programs are being developed with feedback from participating organizations and legal counsel. All California mountain biking and trail advocates, prospective board members or sponsors are invited to join the CAMTB Slack channel at camtb.slack.com.
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The California Mountain Biking Coalition is a pending 501c4 nonprofit. Our mission: to improve and increase trail access for mountain biking throughout California by providing a unified statewide voice for organizations and individuals. Our Federal Nonprofit EIN is 84-3396574. For more information visit CAMTB.org or follow us on social media @CAMTBorg.
