Bikes in Designated Wilderness Area
We don’t actively advocate for opening Wilderness to bikes, however we feel that there are opportunities for better land management policies. We strongly support land management policies that conserve and protect our nation’s wild places in a way that avoids blanket bans on bicycles.
For these reasons, FAMB doesn't support blanket bans of non-motorized bikes in Wilderness. We recognize that bikes aren't appropriate on all trails, and we also recognize that many people simply want an experience without bikes. And we support that too; it’s a big forest, and we acknowledge that bikes don’t need to be allowed everywhere. But we don't think there is a scientific or cultural basis for broad bans on bikes - any preclusion of bikes should be made on a case by case basis, and should not be intrinsically tied to the protection of the land.
For these reasons, FAMB doesn't support blanket bans of non-motorized bikes in Wilderness. We recognize that bikes aren't appropriate on all trails, and we also recognize that many people simply want an experience without bikes. And we support that too; it’s a big forest, and we acknowledge that bikes don’t need to be allowed everywhere. But we don't think there is a scientific or cultural basis for broad bans on bikes - any preclusion of bikes should be made on a case by case basis, and should not be intrinsically tied to the protection of the land.
Bikes in Recommended Wilderness Area
Bikes should continue to be allowed on appropriate trails in newly designated recommended wilderness.
Bikes in Wilderness Study Areas
Bikes should continue to be allowed on appropriate trails in newly designated recommended wilderness.
Bikes and Bears
Recreating in the woods in northwest Montana means that bear encounters are possible; that's simply a fact of life if you're going into the woods. However, any encounter with a bear, particularly a grizzly bear, is something we'd like to avoid, both for our sake and for the bear's sake. While mountain bikes make up a small minority of the negative bear encounters in the region, we recognize that bike / bear conflicts do occasionally happen. We believe that minimizing biker / bear conflicts involves two things: 1) education, and 2) better trail maintenance. Education means encouraging riders to bring bear spray, keep their speeds in check when in areas heavily populated by bears, and be aware of signs and warnings regarding bear activity in an area. Better trail maintenance means improving sight lines, brushing out trails, and routing trails appropriately to help minimize the possibility of a negative encounter.
The Transfer of Federal Public Lands to the States or Private Entities
We are opposed to the transfer of federal public lands because the benefits of retaining public ownership far outweigh the costs. The State of Montana is ill-equipped to handle the management of such vast quantities of land, and private entities do not have the public's best interests in mind. Lands held by the Federal Government in Montana aren't just the places we like to ride our bikes, go camping, go hiking, and recreate in the woods. They're a huge source of income for our economies around the state. Losing access to the forests means losing jobs that depend on that access, and the impacts on our economy from losses in tourism and recreation alone would cripple our community. A transfer of federal lands is a short sighted measure that trades minimal gains at the national level to massive and widespread losses at the local level.
E-Bikes
We support the use of e-bikes in accordance with land managers’ rules and regulations. That being said, we updated our guidance to land managers in October, 2020 as follows:
- FAMB supports land managers adopting a standard definition for an e-bike separate from a traditional mountain bike.
- FAMB supports land managers adopting a three three-tiered classification for e-bikes (Class 1, 2, and 3).
- FAMB supports giving land managers at the local level the authority to decide whether and where e-bikes should be allowed beyond trails that are currently open to motorized use, as long as access is not lost or impeded for traditional mountain bikes.
- Only Class 1 e-bikes should be considered for use on trails that are currently designated non-motorized.
Fat Bikes on Groomed Ski Trails
We support fat biking in any area that allows fat bikes. Please respect and obey local trail regulations so as not to cause damage to groomed ski trails and use proper etiquette. It should be noted that the grooming on many of these trails in the Flathead Valley is paid for exclusively by nordic skiers, so please respect their use, and be aware that fat bikes can cause ruts that interfere with ski use. Additionally, users should use best practices including refraining from riding when conditions are particularly soft.
Preserving and advancing mountain bike activities in the Flathead Valley.
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