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Protect access to trails for mountain bikes

You may have heard that a group of equestrians has recently approached Michigan lawmakers about a bill to restrict access for mountain bikers to horse trails. Early drafts of the bill left open the possibility that all bicyclists could be prohibited from using any trail open to horses and their riders. Concerns were raised about access to linear trails such as the Mike Levine Great Lake-to-Lake Trails Route #1 and potentially disastrous consequences. The bill was introduced as SB 1191 on Sept. 28, 2022.

LMB and MMBA have been engaged in discussions with staff for Sen. Runestad over the last two months to try to address these negative impacts. Now, we want to show that the entire Michigan bicycling community is united behind principles of fair access.

Please read the following statement, and if you agree, please sign and send it to the lawmakers involved.

We the mountain bikers of the great state of Michigan, in order to protect and preserve our access to the trails designed for our use and maintained by our hands, do hereby solemnly affirm the following principles for incorporation in any piece of legislation which would affect or alter that access:

  1. No legislation should threaten to unilaterally prohibit mountain bikers from multi-use trails, or allow any room for misinterpretation to do so.
  2. No legislation should grant access to unsigned trails to another user group while prohibiting mountain bikers.
  3. No legislation should restrict the ability of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to grant trail access to mountain bikers via land use order.
  4. Any legislation which affects access for mountain bikers based on DNR trail signage should allow ample time before its effective date for DNR to correct or replace damaged or missing signage.
  5. Any legislation which guarantees access to state decision-making processes for one trail user group (e.g. equestrians) should also guarantee access for larger trail user groups (e.g. mountain bikers.)

Please do all in your power to protect the right to peaceful enjoyment of Michigan's public lands by mountain bikers, and resist all attempts to unfairly encroach on that right to suit the whims of another trail user group.

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Photo: LMB events director Neal Glazebrook (left) and education director Jeff Carek (right) take in the mid-course view on Marji Gesick in Marquette County, Sept. 17, 2022.

Protect access to trails for mountain bikes

You may have heard that a group of equestrians has recently approached Michigan lawmakers about a bill to restrict access for mountain bikers to horse trails. Early drafts of the bill left open the possibility that all bicyclists could be prohibited from using any trail open to horses and their riders. Concerns were raised about access to linear trails such as the Mike Levine Great Lake-to-Lake Trails Route #1 and potentially disastrous consequences. The bill was introduced as SB 1191 on Sept. 28, 2022.

LMB and MMBA have been engaged in discussions with staff for Sen. Runestad over the last two months to try to address these negative impacts. Now, we want to show that the entire Michigan bicycling community is united behind principles of fair access.

Please read the following statement, and if you agree, please sign and send it to the lawmakers involved.

We the mountain bikers of the great state of Michigan, in order to protect and preserve our access to the trails designed for our use and maintained by our hands, do hereby solemnly affirm the following principles for incorporation in any piece of legislation which would affect or alter that access:

  1. No legislation should threaten to unilaterally prohibit mountain bikers from multi-use trails, or allow any room for misinterpretation to do so.
  2. No legislation should grant access to unsigned trails to another user group while prohibiting mountain bikers.
  3. No legislation should restrict the ability of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to grant trail access to mountain bikers via land use order.
  4. Any legislation which affects access for mountain bikers based on DNR trail signage should allow ample time before its effective date for DNR to correct or replace damaged or missing signage.
  5. Any legislation which guarantees access to state decision-making processes for one trail user group (e.g. equestrians) should also guarantee access for larger trail user groups (e.g. mountain bikers.)

Please do all in your power to protect the right to peaceful enjoyment of Michigan's public lands by mountain bikers, and resist all attempts to unfairly encroach on that right to suit the whims of another trail user group.

==

Photo: LMB events director Neal Glazebrook (left) and education director Jeff Carek (right) take in the mid-course view on Marji Gesick in Marquette County, Sept. 17, 2022.