WASHINGTON (BRAIN) — PeopleForBikes led a group of 12 industry leaders to Capitol Hill this week in support of the Recreation Not Red Tape Act. which aims to improve and break down the barriers to recreational riding opportunities on public lands.
“Communities across the nation rely on our public lands and the bike industry to create jobs, grow local economies, and improve quality of life,” said Jenn Dice, PeopleForBikes’ vice president of business network. “The Recreation Not Red Tape Act is a crucial piece of legislation to increase access on public lands for people who bike.”
The act would create a system of National Recreation Areas to identify and protect landscapes for outdoor recreation, including cycling. It also simplifies the permitting processes for the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management to create standard forms, deadlines, and informational materials for people who bike and bicycle tour guides, and it establishes a pilot program for interagency trail management for trails that cross agency jurisdictional boundaries to ensure trails are maintained according to the same standards, PeopleForBikes stated.
“It was great to join PeopleForBikes and industry leaders in talking with congressional offices about the benefits of the Recreation Not Red Tape Act. Local economies across the country will benefit from people enjoying expanded recreation,” said Ellen Johnson, director of product development at Advanced Sports International.
Other attendees included Mike Delano of Giant Bicycle, Bernie Doering of Stages Cycling, Fred Ferguson of Vista Outdoor, Dustin Green of Trek, Stephen Keller of Shimano, Saul Leiken of Specialized, Eric Lynn of Blackriver, Bob Margevicius of Specialized, Ryan Miller of Shimano, Mike Olson of Trek Superstore and Gary Sjoquist of Quality Bicycle Products.
In addition to meetings on Capitol Hill, PeopleForBikes also held its annual Congressional Bike Fest in the Rayburn Building of the U.S. House of Representatives. Fifteen brands showcased their latest products. Roughly 400 Capitol Hill staffers attended the event, which featured items from Trek, Shimano, ASI, QBP, Saris, Specialized, Capital Bike Share, Blackriver, Giant, Pure Cycles, Shinola, REI, CSG, Bell, Giro, CamelBak and Feedback Sports.
