Lions and Bikes and Bears, Oh My!

In case you haven't noticed, there has been recent discussion in the local media about various forms of recreation (and bikes more specifically) in bear habitat. In case you haven't seen any of these articles, we wanted to post some of them here so you can catch up on what's being talked about. 

A June 25, 2019 article from the Flathead Beacon:
https://flatheadbeacon.com/2019/06/25/conservation-group-hopes-stop-flathead-foot-races/
A June 26, 2019 article from MTPR.org:
​https://www.mtpr.org/post/recreation-hot-delisting-cold-goverments-grizzly-conversations
Comments made by Chip Weber, Flathead National Forest Supervisor, on Wildlife and Risks to the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee on June 25, 2019: 
​https://m.facebook.com/notes/the-forest-service-flathead-national-forest/chip-webers-comments-on-wildlife-and-risks-given-to-the-interagency-grizzly-bear/2117577698351850/

Unfortunately, sometimes when one (or a very few) voices are louder than the rest, those voices get lots of attention, which is what we believe is going on here. We urge all mountain bikers, trail runners, and all other users who enjoy recreating, both alone and in groups in the National Forest: make your stance known when the Forest Service seeks comments for proposed and ongoing projects. It takes just a couple of minutes to submit comments, and every comment is reviewed and considered by the Forest Service before they make a final decision. Together, we can make it resoundingly clear that these very few loud voices do not represent the opinion of a majority of National Forest users!