WASHINGTON (BRAIN) — Bicycle access to federally designated Wilderness areas received a boost recently when the U.S. Forest Service and the Department of Interior supported the bill in the Senate.
Agency staff testified before a Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources subcommittee on Nov. 18 regarding the Human-Powered Travel in Wilderness Areas Act, introduced by Sen. Mike Lee (R.-Utah) in May 2019.
The bill would remove the agencies' blanket bans on bicycling in areas that are part of the National Wilderness Preservation System and revert to the Forest Service's 1981 rule, treating bikes the same as horses, hikers, campers, and hunters — that is, allow or prohibit access based upon local conditions.
The legislation would not permit e-bikes in Wilderness areas, said Ted Stroll of The Sustainable Trails Coalition, which urges support of the bill. Stroll also told BRAIN the coalition has not heard when a vote might occur.
"Even in the current lame-duck congressional session — between the November election and Jan. 3, when the new Congress is seated — there are opportunities to advance legislation, and Sen. Lee is working on them," Stroll said. "Otherwise, we understand that the legislation will be a priority in 2021-22."
The National Wilderness Preservation System is made up of areas encompassing more than 111 million acres that are designated to be maintained in their natural condition.
According to The Wilderness Act of 1964, Wilderness is defined as "an area where the earth and community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain" and "an area of undeveloped federal land retaining its primeval character and influence without permanent improvements or human habitation."
Land managers initially allowed bikes on Wilderness lands, then banned them, then conditionally permitted them before initiating the current ban. The original Forest Service definition of mechanical transport, adopted just after passage of the Wilderness Act, permitted bicycling.
During the hearing, Michael Nedd, Bureau of Land Management deputy director for operations, said the bill would allow bikes only on existing paths and roads — roads to trailheads — but not for use of new roads on Wilderness land. Also, Nedd said, "the process would include seeking input from stakeholders."
The Bureau of Land Management comes under the direction of the Department of Interior and the Forestry Service under the Department of Agriculture.
The Sustainable Trails Coalition maintains that bicycle access on Wilderness lands is more important than ever.
"Just as some people like to ride a horse, some prefer, or can only afford, to ride a bike," the coalition said in a release. "In this day and age of COVID-19, obesity, and the recognized importance of physical health, access to and enjoyment of our public lands should be guided by inclusiveness, not exclusion."
