Help Save the North Fork trail system in Whatcom County (Washington)
Source: Whatcom Trails Co-Op www.whatcomtrails.com
What is happening?
Beginning on April 2nd the Washington State Department of Resources (DNR) will be decommissioning all user-built bike trails on Slide Mountain at the North Fork Nooksack in Whatcom County.
The work, estimated to cost $23,000, will begin on April 2nd and will be done by the DNR and a crew from Washington Conservation Corps. Work will include closure signage, removal of larger structures, blocking and revegetating trail entrances, and a gate to block all motorized access to Slide Mountain.
-Closure of all user-built bike trails at the North Fork in Whatcom County.
-Work begins on April 2nd by the DNR and a volunteer crew from Washington Conservation Corps
-All trails will be signed closed.
-Bigger structures will be decommissioned.
-Trails will be blocked off and re-vegetated near the exits/entrances.
-A gate will be constructed at the bottom of the hill blocking all motorized access to Slide Mountain.
-Increased enforcement patrols by DNR.
-Riders caught on these trails will receive a warning on the first occurrence (starting April 7th 2012), a ticket of $120 the second time and will be arrested the third time.
Why is this happening?
Whatcom Trails Co-op and Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance were informed of the trail decommissioning two weeks ago by DNR. At that time the explanation for the closure was that an individual from a motorized user group was insisting that if motorized use wasn’t allowed on Slide Mountain, then all unauthorized trails must be closed down.
In an effort to learn more about DNR concerns and find a way to address them while keeping trails open, we arranged a meeting that was held Friday, March 23rd. What we heard from DNR was that there was no solution short of complete closure, a position which is made all the more difficult to accept given that much of this area is currently being logged—a scale of impact beyond anything non- motorized recreation could ever cause.
The DNR was represented at the meeting by Region and Division staff and by the statewide recreation manager. The primary concerns expressed by DNR, and our responses, were:
-Unauthorized Trail Construction – Certainly it is true that there are mountain bike trails on the hill and DNR has difficulty managing unauthorized trail areas. However, it is also true that there are hundreds or thousands of miles of unauthorized, non-motorized trails on DNR forests across the state and very little effort is made to decommission or enforce closures on those trails, even those with clear environmental impacts. It is important to note that there are no authorized areas to recreate on DNR land in Whatcom County. Unauthorized areas like North Fork are reflections of the huge unmet need for recreational access.
-Structures – Most "structures" are simple bridges, built to span wet zones or creeks that were constructed in accordance with industry-leading trail building standards. We offered to decommission any structure that wasn't built to address sediment or erosion concerns.
-Sediment / Erosion – The North Fork was closed to motorized use roughly 7 years ago because of heavy sediment runoff from the trails and four-wheeling in or near the North Fork of the Nooksack. Sediment transport is not a real issue for the trails constructed by mountain bikers because:
1. We have no trails near the river.
2. Our trails were specifically routed to avoid creeks and riparian zones wherever possible and were built sustainably to avoid erosion and reduce maintenance.
3. When necessary, bridges were constructed from blowdown (not live trees) for spanning any small creeks or wet zones.
4. Put simply, it would be difficult and unenjoyable to ride a mountain bike in such overtly muddy areas, resulting in a low-quality recreational experience and an obvious detrimental effect on the environment.
-Popularity - Despite our attempts to keep the area from becoming widely known, it has become too popular. Riders are now coming not just from Bellingham but from across the state and even Canada - a testament to the quality of the trail network and the need for such human-powered recreational areas.
What can you do?
Whatcom County residents and business owners:
If you live in Whatcom County and access to outdoor recreation is a quality of life issue for you, please contact the people listed below to voice your displeasure about this decision and ask them for an interim solution which keeps trails open while working towards a formal Recreational plan for the North Fork area.
Seattle/Tacoma Mt. bikers:
Contact DNR staff and Whatcom County Tourism and voice your displeasure with this decision and ask them for an interim solution to be determined while working towards a formal Recreational plan for the North Fork areas. Also, please let them know that you spend money at businesses in Bellingham and Whatcom County because of this trail network.
Canadian riders:
If you live in British Columbia and ride the North Fork, please email Whatcom County tourism, Whatcom County commissioner and Whatcom County council members letting them know that you ride the area and spend money at businesses in Bellingham and Whatcom County because of the trail network.
Contact Information Legislators:
The area impacted is represented by legislators in the 40th and 42nd districts—if you are unsure which district you live in, you can look it up here.
![Contacts]()
Whatcom County Executive:
Jack Louws - JLouws@co.whatcom.wa.us
Whatcom County Council:
•Bill Knutzen - bknutzen@co.whatcom.wa.us
•Kathy Kershner - kkershne@co.whatcom.wa.us
•Ken Mann - kmann@co.whatcom.wa.us
•Sam Crawford - scrawfor@co.whatcom.wa.us
•Carl Weimer - cweimer@co.whatcom.wa.us
•Barbara Brenner - bbrenner@co.whatcom.wa.us
•Pete Kremen – pkremen@co.whatcom.wa.us
Whatcom County Tourism:
tourism@bellingham.org
Talking Points
We are intentionally not crafting a form letter because they do not make the same impact as personal letters. If you care enough about the trails and the area, please take 10 minutes to write something and send it to the appropriate folks above.
Your letter should state what you want and why, and should ask for a response. We've highlighted a set of goals below that you can use in your letter.
This issue is a passionate one for many of us but remember that the goal is to change the outcome not to vent our anger and frustration. Please be honest but civil in your communications.
IMPORTANT: To be even more effective, take an extra 5 minutes to also print out your emails, sign them and send a hard copy.
The primary Issues:
1. There are NO legal areas to recreate on DNR land in Whatcom County
2. No planning process has begun to address recreation needs in Whatcom County despite our continued meetings with DNR over several years. We were the largest user group at all of the recreational planning meetings in Burlington.
3. Closing the trails doesn’t address the issue, rather it disperses the use and creates additional management and enforcement issues.
4. Trails will likely spring up in other areas.
5. Using $22k for closing trails when that money could be better spent on planning or other items.
Short-term goals:
1. Continued access to the trail network.
2. Conduct a full site evaluation to determine any non-essential structures that could be removed.
3. Conduct a full site evaluation of any wetland or erosion issues. Sean Curran, a certified wetland delineator, has agreed to do a full site survey for Whatcom Trails Co-op pro bono. www.curranenvironmental.com/home.htm
4. Within a few months, we’d like to determine the framework to begin the recreational planning process so ALL recreationalists can gain formal authorization for this (and potentially other) area.
Long-term goals:
1. Complete the formal planning process for North Fork recreation for ALL users. This is the biggest issue and why there are user-built trails all over Whatcom County.
2. Establish the ability to rebuild trails post harvest.
Benefits:
1. Mountain bikers are good stewards of the areas in which we recreate. We've held annual clean-up days in the area and removed tons of trash left by other users. Additionally, the presence of mountain bikers and other responsible users keeps undesirable users away.
2. We’re a low maintenance user group.
a. We have built and continually maintained high-quality trails, using volunteer labor and private funds.
b. We close trails down if necessary during the wet season.
c. Our trails and activities do not interfere with timber harvests. In fact we are one of the few groups that would chose to recreate in a working forest environment.
3. Economic Benefit to local businesses
a. Seven bike shops in Bellingham
b. Two bike manufactures in Whatcom County (Transition and Kona).
c. Restaurants and other businesses in Bellingham and Whatcom County get increased business from riders who use our trail network.
4. Immediate access would provide a legitimate riding area and allow time for a larger planning process that could also address other areas and other user groups.
Summary:
- North Fork is a trail network in Bellingham
- Washington DNR is a state agency who owns the land
- We want to keep the message positive.
- No disrespect to DNR, but MTB is a healthy, low impact, legitimate form of recreation, and we should be able to do it on public land
- DNR has a mandate to provide the public access to recreation on their land when it does not conflict with resource management (ie logging which is the main activity in North Fork)
- DNR owns half the land in Whatcom county, yet has no recreation areas.
- Bellingham is world famous mountain bike destination, yet the only legal trails on public land are 5 hiking trails on Chuckanut.
- DNR does not have money for recreation. We are not asking for money, simply a place to volunteer
What is happening?
Beginning on April 2nd the Washington State Department of Resources (DNR) will be decommissioning all user-built bike trails on Slide Mountain at the North Fork Nooksack in Whatcom County.
The work, estimated to cost $23,000, will begin on April 2nd and will be done by the DNR and a crew from Washington Conservation Corps. Work will include closure signage, removal of larger structures, blocking and revegetating trail entrances, and a gate to block all motorized access to Slide Mountain.
-Closure of all user-built bike trails at the North Fork in Whatcom County.
-Work begins on April 2nd by the DNR and a volunteer crew from Washington Conservation Corps
-All trails will be signed closed.
-Bigger structures will be decommissioned.
-Trails will be blocked off and re-vegetated near the exits/entrances.
-A gate will be constructed at the bottom of the hill blocking all motorized access to Slide Mountain.
-Increased enforcement patrols by DNR.
-Riders caught on these trails will receive a warning on the first occurrence (starting April 7th 2012), a ticket of $120 the second time and will be arrested the third time.
Why is this happening?
Whatcom Trails Co-op and Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance were informed of the trail decommissioning two weeks ago by DNR. At that time the explanation for the closure was that an individual from a motorized user group was insisting that if motorized use wasn’t allowed on Slide Mountain, then all unauthorized trails must be closed down.
In an effort to learn more about DNR concerns and find a way to address them while keeping trails open, we arranged a meeting that was held Friday, March 23rd. What we heard from DNR was that there was no solution short of complete closure, a position which is made all the more difficult to accept given that much of this area is currently being logged—a scale of impact beyond anything non- motorized recreation could ever cause.
The DNR was represented at the meeting by Region and Division staff and by the statewide recreation manager. The primary concerns expressed by DNR, and our responses, were:
-Unauthorized Trail Construction – Certainly it is true that there are mountain bike trails on the hill and DNR has difficulty managing unauthorized trail areas. However, it is also true that there are hundreds or thousands of miles of unauthorized, non-motorized trails on DNR forests across the state and very little effort is made to decommission or enforce closures on those trails, even those with clear environmental impacts. It is important to note that there are no authorized areas to recreate on DNR land in Whatcom County. Unauthorized areas like North Fork are reflections of the huge unmet need for recreational access.
-Structures – Most "structures" are simple bridges, built to span wet zones or creeks that were constructed in accordance with industry-leading trail building standards. We offered to decommission any structure that wasn't built to address sediment or erosion concerns.
-Sediment / Erosion – The North Fork was closed to motorized use roughly 7 years ago because of heavy sediment runoff from the trails and four-wheeling in or near the North Fork of the Nooksack. Sediment transport is not a real issue for the trails constructed by mountain bikers because:
1. We have no trails near the river.
2. Our trails were specifically routed to avoid creeks and riparian zones wherever possible and were built sustainably to avoid erosion and reduce maintenance.
3. When necessary, bridges were constructed from blowdown (not live trees) for spanning any small creeks or wet zones.
4. Put simply, it would be difficult and unenjoyable to ride a mountain bike in such overtly muddy areas, resulting in a low-quality recreational experience and an obvious detrimental effect on the environment.
-Popularity - Despite our attempts to keep the area from becoming widely known, it has become too popular. Riders are now coming not just from Bellingham but from across the state and even Canada - a testament to the quality of the trail network and the need for such human-powered recreational areas.
What can you do?
Whatcom County residents and business owners:
If you live in Whatcom County and access to outdoor recreation is a quality of life issue for you, please contact the people listed below to voice your displeasure about this decision and ask them for an interim solution which keeps trails open while working towards a formal Recreational plan for the North Fork area.
Seattle/Tacoma Mt. bikers:
Contact DNR staff and Whatcom County Tourism and voice your displeasure with this decision and ask them for an interim solution to be determined while working towards a formal Recreational plan for the North Fork areas. Also, please let them know that you spend money at businesses in Bellingham and Whatcom County because of this trail network.
Canadian riders:
If you live in British Columbia and ride the North Fork, please email Whatcom County tourism, Whatcom County commissioner and Whatcom County council members letting them know that you ride the area and spend money at businesses in Bellingham and Whatcom County because of the trail network.
Contact Information Legislators:
The area impacted is represented by legislators in the 40th and 42nd districts—if you are unsure which district you live in, you can look it up here.
Whatcom County Executive:
Jack Louws - JLouws@co.whatcom.wa.us
Whatcom County Council:
•Bill Knutzen - bknutzen@co.whatcom.wa.us
•Kathy Kershner - kkershne@co.whatcom.wa.us
•Ken Mann - kmann@co.whatcom.wa.us
•Sam Crawford - scrawfor@co.whatcom.wa.us
•Carl Weimer - cweimer@co.whatcom.wa.us
•Barbara Brenner - bbrenner@co.whatcom.wa.us
•Pete Kremen – pkremen@co.whatcom.wa.us
Whatcom County Tourism:
tourism@bellingham.org
Talking Points
We are intentionally not crafting a form letter because they do not make the same impact as personal letters. If you care enough about the trails and the area, please take 10 minutes to write something and send it to the appropriate folks above.
Your letter should state what you want and why, and should ask for a response. We've highlighted a set of goals below that you can use in your letter.
This issue is a passionate one for many of us but remember that the goal is to change the outcome not to vent our anger and frustration. Please be honest but civil in your communications.
IMPORTANT: To be even more effective, take an extra 5 minutes to also print out your emails, sign them and send a hard copy.
The primary Issues:
1. There are NO legal areas to recreate on DNR land in Whatcom County
2. No planning process has begun to address recreation needs in Whatcom County despite our continued meetings with DNR over several years. We were the largest user group at all of the recreational planning meetings in Burlington.
3. Closing the trails doesn’t address the issue, rather it disperses the use and creates additional management and enforcement issues.
4. Trails will likely spring up in other areas.
5. Using $22k for closing trails when that money could be better spent on planning or other items.
Short-term goals:
1. Continued access to the trail network.
2. Conduct a full site evaluation to determine any non-essential structures that could be removed.
3. Conduct a full site evaluation of any wetland or erosion issues. Sean Curran, a certified wetland delineator, has agreed to do a full site survey for Whatcom Trails Co-op pro bono. www.curranenvironmental.com/home.htm
4. Within a few months, we’d like to determine the framework to begin the recreational planning process so ALL recreationalists can gain formal authorization for this (and potentially other) area.
Long-term goals:
1. Complete the formal planning process for North Fork recreation for ALL users. This is the biggest issue and why there are user-built trails all over Whatcom County.
2. Establish the ability to rebuild trails post harvest.
Benefits:
1. Mountain bikers are good stewards of the areas in which we recreate. We've held annual clean-up days in the area and removed tons of trash left by other users. Additionally, the presence of mountain bikers and other responsible users keeps undesirable users away.
2. We’re a low maintenance user group.
a. We have built and continually maintained high-quality trails, using volunteer labor and private funds.
b. We close trails down if necessary during the wet season.
c. Our trails and activities do not interfere with timber harvests. In fact we are one of the few groups that would chose to recreate in a working forest environment.
3. Economic Benefit to local businesses
a. Seven bike shops in Bellingham
b. Two bike manufactures in Whatcom County (Transition and Kona).
c. Restaurants and other businesses in Bellingham and Whatcom County get increased business from riders who use our trail network.
4. Immediate access would provide a legitimate riding area and allow time for a larger planning process that could also address other areas and other user groups.
Summary:
- North Fork is a trail network in Bellingham
- Washington DNR is a state agency who owns the land
- We want to keep the message positive.
- No disrespect to DNR, but MTB is a healthy, low impact, legitimate form of recreation, and we should be able to do it on public land
- DNR has a mandate to provide the public access to recreation on their land when it does not conflict with resource management (ie logging which is the main activity in North Fork)
- DNR owns half the land in Whatcom county, yet has no recreation areas.
- Bellingham is world famous mountain bike destination, yet the only legal trails on public land are 5 hiking trails on Chuckanut.
- DNR does not have money for recreation. We are not asking for money, simply a place to volunteer
Author Info:
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TAX PAYERS PAY $23,000 FOR DNR TO DESTROY VOLUNTEER-BUILT TRAILS
...might look good on on the front page.
Hope the community can pull through, would be a huge sucess story heres some quotes from the letter (whole thing was in a pdf and couldn't copy)
Details:
Ericksen asks DNR to delay closure of Slide Mountain bike trails
OLYMPIA… Sen. Doug Ericksen, R-Ferndale, today sent a letter to Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark asking him to suspend the Department of Natural Resources’ plan to decommission the mountain-bike trail system on Slide Mountain at the North Fork Nooksack River. The work is set to begin Monday.
The trail system, which is user-built, is not an authorized recreational area and off-road vehicle enthusiasts have insisted that if motorized-vehicle user groups are denied access, all access should be denied.
Ericksen said “I have asked for time to review all documents related to the environmental and management problems perceived by DNR; communications with county officials, mountain-bike organizations, neighbors to the area and other interested parties; and any complaints regarding mountain-bike activities in the area.
“I am very concerned about this proposed closure. I believe strongly that public lands should be as open and available as possible for public recreational activities.
“There are no authorized recreational areas on DNR land in Whatcom County. The user-built mountain-bike trail system is a reflection of the need for such recreational opportunities.”
For those that want to copy and paste the contacts in the jpg
40th district
Kevin.ranker@leg.wa.gov Kristine.lytton@leg.wa.gov jeff.morris@leg.wa.gov
42nd district
Doug.ericksen@leg.wa.gov Jason.overstreet@leg.wa.gov Vincent.buys@leg.wa.gov
DNR
cpl@dnr.wa.gov mark.mauren@dnr.wa.gov steve.jennison@dnr.wa.gov
First: We aren't in B.C. Land managers, public or private, will never, ever, ever, stick their necks out to offer new areas for mountain bikers to build. Ever. Especially not if it's a shuttle spot, which, let's be honest, is the only sort of spot worth riding on your downhill bike.
Second: You will probably cite one or two examples of places in the NW where land managers did stick their necks to help facilitate new mtb trails. And I will wager that whatever spot you cite, it probably sucks. You will never see a public riding spot like North Fork in the NW anytime in the next ten or twenty years. If you do ever see a large, public trail system, it will only be after the trail system is developed illegally first, like NF.
Third: That is why all good dh riding spots have and will continue to be built illegally. And let's just retire this word "illegal trail." Unauthorized, yes, but it's not like we're talking about building a trail in the middle of yellowstone here. The forest service isn't exactly flying overhead in helicopters equipped with night vision or infrared to hunt down trail builders. Trails get built by riders who see the status quo and see that it sucks. If we tried to get trails passed (or built) by committee, they either wouldn't happen or they would all be b-line. The best trails you've ever ridden in the states were illegal, or they were at some point.
Hey, I love B-Line Chainless! Thanks for the support, Team-Robot!!
Thanks for the discourse Charlie - you make some overstatements, but also some solid points. It was never my intention to start any arguments that detract from the issue at hand: maintaining access to the NF road and trails. My comments above don't capture my whole outlook. I'm an advocate for access, but I'm not well versed in any of these issues. I just ride my bikes and volunteer to dig when I can. I was just throwing out some food for thought.
But... full disclosure: I used my L&C degree to become an employee of a rather large public land agency. So, I do grapple with the idea that the mountain bike community should be exempt from land ethics and just go rogue. Land managers have a complex job and it's easy to criticize their decisions (logging, etc.). It's up to these human beings to manage shared resources fairly with a long-term outlook. If every user group out there went against policies and regulations for their own enjoyment, it would be a mess. Why should it be different for us? I think we can easily make the case that trails can be built on appropriate lands (ie, DNR, non-Wilderness, etc.) with little environmental impact and serve an ever growing demographic of the public.
But you're right: reality is that 9/10 times user development, from bike trails to sport climbing, is only successfully established though, "ask for forgiveness, not permission". I'm just challenging that it might not be the ethical way to go about it.
As a government employee working in planning, and as a rider with piss-poor opportunities and places to ride, I see both sides of the issue.
It's very difficult to get users, being mostly young, rebellious, anti-establishment folks, to show up at lame government meetings and stand behind a "salesman" to sell the product of built mountain bike trails. If they did, and the salesman had statistics showing atv vs horse vs mtb vs hiker erosion, and how mountain biking has less serious common injuries vs atv even though speeds are similar, and that the regrowth period of abandoned mtb trails can be faster than hiking trails of similar traffic numbers, and all of the numerous benefits that a popular trail system can have, then we wouldn't have this problem.
The sad thing is, like you said, trail systems are like the field of dreams. Build it and they will come.
You can plan as much as you'd like, but the group is much more likely to show up when things are being torn down rather than when its a blank slate.
I understand why "going rogue" sounds bad and feels bad sometimes. It sounds morally dubious. I think that "ask for forgiveness, not permission" is totally ethical. Here's why:
Land managers, and no one for that matter, understands mountain biking until they see it. I can go blue in the face trying to explain what downhill racing looks like to a normal, boring person, but until I show them a video or take them to an event they just NEVER, EVER get what I'm talking about. That means that trails will only really make sense to most land managers when they are in place and built.
Land managers probably appreciate the NF trail mtb users and their ability to self-police and keep unwanted land users away; this is true for most land manager/mountain bike relationships. There are very few places where trails were closed because the mountain bikers were bad stewards. It's typically a liability thing.
What we're really talking about here isn't trail construction or road use or discovery passes or regrowth periods. What we're talking about is a) liability and b) environmental absolutism. Land managers have no reason whatsoever, under current legal precedent, to stick their necks out for mountain bikers. If I owned land, I would NEVER let anyone else ride there because if they got hurt I would lose my land and everything else I own. As for the environment, PHeller is right, if the simple facts were observed, mountain bikes would be welcomed with open arms almost everywhere. But the facts simply don't matter. Most environmentalists want to stop any trail building of any sort ever anywhere, and mountain bikes are the new kids on the block and we are the easiest target. I can tell you anecdotal evidence all day long about trails and roots and erosions and streams and regrowth, but if you put me toe to toe with a well-versed environmentalist who wants to make sure I can never have fun, he will win 10 times out of 10. And he doesn't even have to win to stop progress, he just has to petition and delay and slow down trail building. Timberline Bike Park is three years behind schedule because "the friends of Mount Hood" have jack knived the agenda because of squirrels and marmots and salmon, even though you drive a four lane super highway up to Timberline.
All of this means that land managers MIGHT ACTUALLY WANT MOUNTAIN BIKING ON THEIR LAND, but they simply cannot make it happen. Everyone's hands are tied. And if land managers want mountain biking, we're actually saving them time and money by building it without them spending hundreds of hours doing risk assessments and land use surveys and blah blah blah. Rogue trails are a win win. It's easy to manage too. If we cross a line, ie too steep too dangerous or too visible, then land managers close that trail, tell us why it sucked, and when we build more trails we don't make that mistake again.
Yes, that's imperfect. It's inefficient. But it's what we in Economics call "constrained efficient." It's the best all parties can do given an imperfect situation. And yes, I overstated some things in my first blurb and in this one; hyperbole and sarcasm are difficult to use effectively on the internet.
SUMMARY
- North Fork is a trail network in Bellingham
- Washington DNR is a state agency who owns the land
- We want to keep the message positive.
- No disrespect to DNR, but MTB is a healthy, low impact, legitimate form of recreation, and we should be able to do it on public land
- DNR has a mandate to provide the public access to recreation on their land when it does not conflict with resource management (ie logging which is the main activity in North Fork)
- DNR owns half the land in whatcom county, yet has no recreation areas.
- Bellingham is world famous mtb destination, yet the only legal trails on public land are 5 hiking trails on Chuckanut.
- DNR does not have money for recreation. We are not asking for money, simply a place to volunteer
“There are no authorized recreational areas on DNR land in Whatcom County. The user-built mountain-bike trail system is a reflection of the need for such recreational opportunities.”
Are you with us, or against us?
The fact of the matter is that the trails will likely get shut down but I wouldn't despair. I'd use it as a launching tool to show how this type of recreation is necessary. See the Cold Creek area as a great example of how to work with the legislators and managers. It's a great area for riding and they're being allowed to expand and work the trail system more. Possibly allowing the trails to be destroyed could be the greatest thing to courting the leaders and gaining approval for usage and trailbuilding in the future.
I wish I could have gotten to ride this even if I'm morally opposed to shuttle type rides. Sounds like it was a good area.
I hope everybody doesn't get a bad idea about Moto guys because we're not all that way. Hope this can be turned around.
And for what it's worth, I actually sent a nice long personal, non-finger-pointing email to the only place I could think of(and find, the DNR site) the land management commisioner... who I also told may have been improperly directed and it would be great if he could redirect the email to those it SHOULD concern.
And for gicks and shiggles... here's the first paragragh from the DNR website.... lol.
"DNR seeks to provide outdoor recreation opportunities to the public throughout Washington state. Recreation on DNR-managed lands includes hiking, hunting, fishing, horseback riding, camping, off-road vehicle (ORV) riding, mountain biking, and boating."
jrager.pinkbike.com/blog/Getting-Rad-in-Southwest-Washington.html
If you wanna talk about the process or just get some perspective hit me up.
JR
"Dear Friends of Tourism: Thank you for taking the time to comment on the DNR decommissioning of user-built bike trails on Slide Mountain. We certainly value the vast recreational amenities throughout Whatcom County, and recognize their attraction to both residents as well as visitors. I’m glad to see that your comments were also sent to our County Executive and County Council. They also understand the importance of tourism in our area, and are in a much better position to find inter-agency solutions that may ultimately satisfy all parties involved. We will be following their progress and providing input about tourism impacts. In the meantime, I invite you to experience some of the other great rides in our extensive trail system (Bellingham.org) We appreciate your support of tourism -- please feel free to contact me with any additional comments or concerns.Regards Loni RahmPresident & CEOBellingham Whatcom County Tourismloni@bellingham.org"
Keep sending those emails, they are making an impact!
The good news is that this recent turn of events will force us to all band together and come up with a set of ground rules, or at least groundskeeping rules, with which to follow. From the legislative standpoint, our yearly efforts in cleaning up the shooting pit are in vain when our trails are littered with waste. It's no wonder anyone is defensive when being grouped in with rookies. I feel the same way where I build trail and have people tell me that I shouldn't be bringing treated lumber into the woods. Yeah, umm, I didn't do that, I'm not the only one out there.
Anyone from the old school skateboarding days will remeber this.
Someone needs to mass produce some stickers................
As a Whatcom county resident and user of the well built and maintained trails of North Fork, DNR should recognize what they have here. An opportunity, not a burden.
Email and snail mail sent.
EBX, Thadius, KonaTrever, Matty, and all you others(you know who you are) are the rocks of this community! Thank you for all you do!!!!
Second Mountain biking might not bee seen as a big money maker, but considering the tiny size of the towns and restaurants in the area, there is a significant economic impact. People would travel from all over the country to ride those trails; they already did, even with the trails being secret as they were. Imagine if people actually knew about it. Look at the success of Whistler for example. Those businesses and the county have a right to recover the potential future earning lost as damages as a result of the DNR's illegal actions in a civil lawsuit.
Letters are great, and Yes, folks should be civil towards the DNR, but I also believe that the people of Bellingham, Whatcom Co and people all over who care about this need to get tough with these corrupt government officials and make sure that they are held accountable for their actions, and that includes the available use of legal remedies.
We are talking days here people, before this can be stopped.
So I'm with you guys! Fight the power! Let us ride in peace!
Try to convince the workers that are actually tasked with destroying the bike trails that they should refuse to do the work. Will DNR put up a big fuss over a $23k project that is aimed solely to piss off mountain bikers because some council member got rubbed the wrong way and they have nothing better to do.
If someone plans to log the area you can forget it though, it is worth too much money you can't stop it. In the end, nothing lasts forever.
I hope you guys end up saving the trails. Good luck.
-Seasonal Trail building hours 2008-present, over 9,000 hours or volunteer labor, that is a very low estimate (looking at TZ and EB)
-Advocacy work attending DNR meetings, IMBA conferences, raising community awareness, and fundraising events: Over 900 hours over the past 4 years.
-4800 acres of DNR land in Whatcom County and 0 acres to recreate on
Emails away!
Second Mountain biking might not bee seen as a big money maker, but considering the tiny size of the towns and restaurants in the area, there is a significant economic impact. People would travel from all over the country to ride those trails; they already did, even with the trails being secret as they were. Imagine if people actually knew about it. Look at the success of Whistler for example. Those businesses and the county have a right to recover the potential future earning lost as damages as a result of the DNR's illegal actions in a civil lawsuit.
Letters are great, and Yes, folks should be civil towards the DNR, but I also believe that the people of Bellingham, Whatcom Co and people all over who care about this need to get tough with these corrupt government officials and make sure that they are held accountable for their actions, and that includes the available use of legal remedies.
We are talking days here people, before this can be stopped.
Second Mountain biking might not bee seen as a big money maker, but considering the tiny size of the towns and restaurants in the area, there is a significant economic impact. People would travel from all over the country to ride those trails; they already did, even with the trails being secret as they were. Imagine if people actually knew about it. Look at the success of Whistler for example. Those businesses and the county have a right to recover the potential future earning lost as damages as a result of the DNR's illegal actions in a civil lawsuit.
Letters are great, and Yes, folks should be civil towards the DNR, but I also believe that the people of Bellingham, Whatcom Co and people all over who care about this need to get tough with these corrupt government officials and make sure that they are held accountable for their actions, and that includes the available use of legal remedies.
We are talking days here people, before this can be stopped.
And then there's the literal swarm of obvious to deal with... gosh, how hard is it to spot a shuttle truck? Dakine pad at best, 4-8 bike shuttle racks or even a trailer at worst... bike shop decals and favorite bicycle brand decals pasted all over the truck.... they'll look like an ant trail headed to the next new "secret" zone... which will be the new "next to get closed" area.
Need to learn from our mistakes. And stuff like the ridiculous 40mph exits out of moto have to stop as well. Seriously...who WANTS to get run over by a rusty Ford full of rednecks and shitty beer?