The Dismantling of North Fork trails in Whatcom County has begun.
State removes illegal biking trails, jumps from public land
By Denise Whitaker
SEATTLE -- Concerns about lawsuits have prompted the state to rip apart a number of illegal mountain bike trails and jumps in Whatcom County.
When the State Department of Natural Resources banned off-road vehicles from the land four years ago, mountain bikers stepped in and began building jumps, trails and bridges over creeks. The bikers have created roughly 50 jumps and more than five miles of trails, and department officials are ready to give them the boot.
"This is public land, it's open for public use, but it's not open for public abuse," said Mark Mauren of the DNR.
According to Mauren, the daredevil bikers could hurt themselves and sue the state.
"They see this as a fantastic opportunity, and I see it as a government employee as a $2.1 million dollar lawsuit that we as citizens would need to foot the bill for," he said.
There's also the issue of environmental impact on the area.
"There are liabilities we're trying to address here," Mauren said. "There are environmental issues we're trying to address here."
Mountain biker Matt Shelton helped build the trails and said he knew this day would come.
"So, yes, these structures were put in place to mitigate any negative impact on the landscape, but in the same regard they are all illegitimate," he said.
Even though the state's taking down the trail network, mountain bikers are still welcome to ride the forest service roads. And DNR says it's working with legislators and the mountain biking community to move forward and develop areas for bikers to ride.
Signs warning bikers not to use the illegal trails will soon be posted, and anyone caught breaking the law will be ticketed and fined.
Story from Komonews.com
Riders came from all over last weekend to enjoy the trail network, here's a look at their last weekend at the North Fork trails.
By Denise Whitaker
SEATTLE -- Concerns about lawsuits have prompted the state to rip apart a number of illegal mountain bike trails and jumps in Whatcom County.
When the State Department of Natural Resources banned off-road vehicles from the land four years ago, mountain bikers stepped in and began building jumps, trails and bridges over creeks. The bikers have created roughly 50 jumps and more than five miles of trails, and department officials are ready to give them the boot.
"This is public land, it's open for public use, but it's not open for public abuse," said Mark Mauren of the DNR.
According to Mauren, the daredevil bikers could hurt themselves and sue the state.
"They see this as a fantastic opportunity, and I see it as a government employee as a $2.1 million dollar lawsuit that we as citizens would need to foot the bill for," he said.
There's also the issue of environmental impact on the area.
"There are liabilities we're trying to address here," Mauren said. "There are environmental issues we're trying to address here."
Mountain biker Matt Shelton helped build the trails and said he knew this day would come.
"So, yes, these structures were put in place to mitigate any negative impact on the landscape, but in the same regard they are all illegitimate," he said.
Even though the state's taking down the trail network, mountain bikers are still welcome to ride the forest service roads. And DNR says it's working with legislators and the mountain biking community to move forward and develop areas for bikers to ride.
Signs warning bikers not to use the illegal trails will soon be posted, and anyone caught breaking the law will be ticketed and fined.
Story from Komonews.com
Riders came from all over last weekend to enjoy the trail network, here's a look at their last weekend at the North Fork trails.
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The trails they are destroying were the most ecologically sustainable activity at the north fork. The road building they are doing is far worse for the ecosystem. Tons and tons of sediment have been pushed into the watershed by the DNR for building roads, but that's ok because they have a permit? Bullshit!
@gravityfiend, don't think you could have put it any better.
another point is that those trails are well were beautiful and well built
i have seen state built trails that are a hell of allot sketchier then that and they are proud of them saying its a safe place for bikers to enjoy riding ...
this just make me sick and really hate government officials for such small minded thinking.
and there building trails we can ride on? there gonna so good. jumps 0 drops 0 berms 0 fun 0
GravityFiend. You sir are damn right.
What I do love hearing is trails being destroyed because of environmental issues. Who is that deep in the forest keeping it clean and preaching the love and enjoyment of the natural resources around us? Sportsmen.
Whether its trails in Washington or MLPA shutting down miles of coastline in CA for fishing. This stuff has got to stop.
"public abuse???"......... "2.1 million dollar lawsuit???"
Are you f**king kidding me. They play the "environment" card as well! ...okay I can play...They go drilling for oil , they destroy the marine life with countless spills....... They ruin our air with their industry...... They scar the land with mass logging and absolute careless building
......But suddenly they care...about one small patch of land. One tiny , tiny patch of land. Suddenly the mountain bikers are the bad guys?? Oh yes lets DEMONIZE the bikers in the media. The one hobby that's one of the most environmentally friendly?!? I call bullshit. God damn bullshit
.......................... I will drink to the loss of good trails and to the builders who built and maintained them. Horrible , the video actually made me sick to my stomach
The people who built and rode these trails every weekend, were REAL riders. We all knew the risks we were taking out there, and we all reaped the rewards.
Sad for sure, to see some of the stuff on moto ripped out in this video.
I will always have the memories of good times shared out there for sure!
I only hope many of the people commenting on here, especially those of you who are neighbors to the north, who would come down to ride this place.
North Fork is to us what fromme, seymour and grouse are to B.C.- technical, well developed, world class, sustainable mountain biking trails.
I know personally, I will be drafting a strongly worded letter of my discontent to Mr. Mauren, and the DNR, on both how the situation was handled, and how hopefully in the future, highlighting areas such as blackrock, post canyon, and duthie hill and even the once illegal trails @ summit ridge, as examples of what can happen through proper organization and dedicated work between two groups.
i'm working with the mountain bike community to develop trails for them to ride, but first i'm going to spend there money tearing the existing ones down that they built; and you guessed it, then spend there money again to replace them. But not to the standard that it was before; hell no, i'm going to make it shitty and cost 10 times as much as it did for you all to build it.
sincerely, your thoughtful and caring government.
ps. only joking about it costing 10 times as much . . . it'll actually be 50
Hello, ladies, look at your government, now back to me, now back at your government, now back to me. Sadly, it isn’t me, but if it stopped using shit scented lies and switched to being trustworthy and helpful, it could look like it's me. Look down, back up, where are you? You’re on land with the government your government could be like. What’s in your hand, back at me. I have it, it’s a free building permit with two axes to build that thing you love. Look again, the axes are now diamonds. Anything is possible when your government looks like a democracy and not a fascist regime. I’m on a Motorbike.
no? okay , I'm done ;(
No tax revenue coming in from these "environmentally damaging and dangerous" trails=Illegal.
The money paid to wreck those jumps could've actually gone to putting in place a great trail system and set up a small community to help the government and bikers communicate with each other.
People seriously need to chill with the "lawsuit" issue. Clearly this is dangerous, take some responsibility for yourself. Crying to mommy or the government you got a scrape makes you look like an idiot. That's probably why these government institutions are in place, people like Mark Mauren probably got made fun of for not being able to hit any sweet jumps and just wants to take it out on people having fun.
they want to save money but then they pay a man to ruin someones fun who then pays some men to smash stuff up :/
they say you should get out more stay healthy and out of trouble yet anything thats fun is illegal .. what the f*ck? id love to get that guy a bike and let him ride it properly .. he might realise we do it for a reason .. its in out blood trail building gives us somthing to be proud of . what can they be proud of? a deserted woodland .. big woop.
(by the way this is the only blog/ad thing ive seen that there are no negative props on... shows mtbers are one united form of being.
F*CK THE POLICE
What if a hiker was to miss step and injure themselves, does that mean that they can sue the state for a million dollars? That's what is being said about Mountain Bike trails...
Wouldn't it be easier and cheaper to put up a sign saying they are not liable for anyone's injury's etc...
You guys smell that?
smells like bullshit to me...
Oh please, you're too kind.
For someone who thinks hes such friggin smart do gooder, you would think these state employees would be intelligent enough to legitimize the trails that have been given to the state for free, post notices stating that riders ride at their own risk without right to lawsuit, and inform people of the nature of the trail. That's how any other FR trail legally exists. They could have a huge recreational resource for Washington state thus improving the lands value. Instead they are spending $23,000 to un-improve their public land and greatly reduce visitors to the area as well as kill the chance of a huge mtb volunteer trail maintenance crew. It's spending money to loose land value and piss a bunch of dedicated land stewards off who have worked their asses off to provide something for the public to enjoy. I would love to meat the dumbass that made that decision. He must have his balls in a vice or something.
God this just pisses me off so much. I am working on moving to Washington and this system was on my hit list. End Rant.
Tell them you think this is a major waste of money. Point out that the builders have offered to have environmental impact studies done at no cost to the DNR. Most importantly, tell them you had planned to move to WA state because of trails like these, without them you may not come here.
Secondly - Mauren is just 'doing' his job, but in an area and community as such - why does he ave to be such a bitch about it?
Thirdly - f*ck You. "Even though the state's taking down the trail network, mountain bikers are still welcome to ride the forest service roads. And DNR says it's working with legislators and the mountain biking community to move forward and develop areas for bikers to ride." --- Yep. f*ck You.
Lastly - f*ck YOU (again) for wasting a great amount of OUR money, when WE WANTED the god damn trails in the first place. If you are going to use OUR money, we should be able to vote on whether these trails are appropriate or not, rather than bureaucratic 'obese'-cats making decisions because what 'they' feel is right... which is not synonymous with a larger contingency of American people. Classic story of personal judgement clouding the appropriate democratic system, thus, f*cking us. So, let us march to the hills and set fire to a bunch of old bike gloves, shoes, ect - and let them know, like the great world wide recorder concert (south park) our vicious ring of "f*ck YOU" will, hopefully, yes... make them shit their pants. a*sholes.
asta luego
There is proof in the video and he SAID we can ride the fire roads. Not ideal but at least it's 'legal'
Permits, city councils, special permissions ... it is just another way of taking our freedoms away and disguising the action in a swarm of red tape. Unless its a gentle rolling hill with pillows on either side they consider it unsafe.
Maybe mountain bikers should unite, form a group like "occupy Wallstreet" but call it more like "Occupy our lands" and demand legislature, laws and such that will protect our freedoms and rights while preventing the state or anyone from being sued. Otherwise it will continue to be US vs. THEM, and while we win by rebuilding and defying them, they end up hurting us by wasting our own money fighting us.
Funding for these projects will be provided by state owned arcades and snack/soda machines.
They tell us to get outside, and go use our 'big backyards' to quote an infamous tourism and king county parks ad, yet they shoot down great opportunities to work with us on publicly owned lands for healthy recreational activities.
Seems a far less expensive way to solve a problem that is purely based on speculation.
My name is Steven Davis and I feel for you guys that used this trail.
p.s. that guy swung his sledge hammer like a bitch
Sadly this is the USA and liability is the problem. Structures and jumps removed... whatever... but let people keep riding on public land. There has been some very impressive drainage work done, and plenty of careful routing to avoid problem areas. About as wet as it could be the last weekend and nothing resembling a washout or runoff problem. Some standing water here and there, but it wasn't going anywhere, certainly not into any streams. The environmental impact argument is such BS when you look at what the logging in the area has done, and will continue to do.
TZ's trail is a work of art and they are about to log that. It follows a ridge near a creek, once those trees are gone what is going to happen to rain water and soil retention? The skidder they are going to punch in to remove trees is going to cross and disturb several drainages. Right and MTB bridges over creeks are such a problem.
The DNR needs to start reaping their own words...Worried about salmon spawning and habitat? What a bunch of BS. I don't see them kicking the shooters out, or actively ticketing those who used to dump/ still do dump their trash out there in the pits.
apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=4.24.210
- The state is accepting they have the liability of lawsuits although as many have pointed out it is not true. How do you think skate parks function?
- Cyclists are free to ride on the gravel service roads that have thundering traffic from logging trucks, PUD vehicles and other contractors?
I'm going to take a stab in the dark here and say that riding bikes on those roads would be much more of a liability risk than riding on some "Illegal Trails". Try the trails were torn out because of a political conflict between user groups and corporate government interest in future profitability from the land use. I am not surprised that no one would ever say that on the air though. If they did I am sure no media would allow coverage and the political official would be bagged. I say we sell all our resources to Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan so we can have more accountability... Oops ... I guess we already did.
I guess trails are worse for the forest than clear cutting a couple thousand acres at a time. 10's of thousands of government owned acres that we can't use?
I really did enjoy buddy with the sledgehammer. Those boards are nailed in place... couldn't he just hit up from the bottom and pop them off? I mean, unless he really likes smashing stuff... frigging incompetent, your tax dollars at work folks.
The media spin on that was rubbish too. No real voice for the riders, save for a short clip that was taken out of context.
go f*ck yourself. find someone else to f*ck over. Why waste money on destroying the trails that took hundreds of hours to build and allowed for the (productive) recreation of many. go spend all that money on something that is ACTUALLY beneficial to society. And suing the state for something like this would never win, and nobody would actually sue over this....so dumb
F*CKING F*CKERS... stories like that are really killing me...
The argumentation of "the public hand" is sooooo baseless, limited, one-sided and snotty...
I don't know how strong the pro-mtb political lobbying is in North America, but here in Switzerland it is close to zero. The influential politicians are either fat SUV-Drivers or very "green" nerds who think that mountainbiking is killing the fauna :-(
I hate haters! STOP INTOLERANCE and OVERREGULATION
Peace yo!
"this is public land and it's welcome for use not abuse" ........Sorry? They hurt no one in the process , they probably use the place more than the other people that use it e.g walkers , horse riders and other things and like the top comment said the sediment is being pushed into the water by them causing them to do more damage than they ever did because they have a f*cking permit.
Gravel roads? f*ck that. If a walker said that to me I'd say " I could say the same to you sir , so why aren't you on them". "because they are boring" E.X.A.C.T.L.Y.
They put huge work into those trails and if I'm not mistaken they said they were trying to establish a legimate trail centre ? What was wrong with the trail they just destroyed.? Why can't you make it so we can't sue if we fall? And 90% of us wouldn't dream of suing because we know it's our fault and we put ourselves in danger. The only ones that do are people who think they are the shit and when they do something wrong they have to take it out on someone else. That happend here last year when some guy fell and decided to sue at a Race and it put this whole race season in jeopardy because the people that owned the forests were scared it would happen to them.
I don't see why we are so frowned upon , I really can't wrap my head around it and it pisses me off.
PS. I DON'T HATE WALKERS ..... ONLY THE SNOBBY NES THAT THINK THEY OWN EVERYTHING.
Jobs are available at your local government / council office, no experience required although the below credentials are a necessity:
Held too much as a child
Wrapped in cotton wool all your life
Become angry at the sound of laughing children
Get pleasure from sanitising the natural and created environment
Want to burn all off-road vehicles
Like being the big man
If you have the above traits, please apply within.
What's next??? Are they going to be driving around, ticketing every ten year old with a piece of plywood and a concrete block building a jump on the sidewalk!! Get em before they're old enough to drive, because you know the first thing they're going to do is head up into the mountains and destroy the beloved eco system.
Get a clue you f*^king pricks!!!
Wow, where did he pull that from??
If it doesn't deal with Starbucks, Microsoft, computers or Boeing, its a horrid evil thing and must be destroyed. Its not our fault their wrists are too limp to hold onto anything other than a coffee mug and their confidence is so weak only to sit behind a screen playing games by Valve.
We will be back.
Strength in Numbers?
Oh I think so...
the worst thing is all they are doing is Moving "the problem" on to a different area, its so short minded its almost funny.
Mountain Bikers aren't going away!!!!
People mountain biking and bmxing (etc etc...) are doing this as a dangerous hpbby and knowing the consequence, i dont see smoking getting banned because its a dangerous activity, both smokers and bikers know the risks.. and they have a choice whether to take the risk or not... Such contradiction!
"this is public lane, its open for public use but its not open for public abuse" bs that the trails are abuse...well since our trails our removed, lets go get drunk and high til the government leaves and then we can go back and rebuild the trails!
could lobby or atleast put forward our argument to local councils in defending these trails to stay.Why 2.1 million to destroy when it could be used to promote a healthy and $$$ sport for local business.
sure, two wrongs dont make a right, but it would make me fell a hell of a lot better
if the rule is no built up stunts that is fine, but just as they are not saying hikers you have to stick just to roads, you shouldn't force mtn bikers to stick to fire and access roads.
It wasn't too long ago in the late 90's and early 2000's the north shore went through a similiar thing, with trails that were found being torn down. the nsmba did a wonderful job lobbying to ensure we get to ride trails long term
This whole process is just running out like this: People go out and build new trails. State gets angry and creates some new laws which don't allow mountainbikes to ride in the forests.
If i would life there, i would go out, shred these trails and whip my rearwheel at Mark Maurens f*ckin head.
We only got a hand full of walkers and riders up there. It was fine. I could go up after work and no one would be there.
There was a bit of litter left from the kids but nothing a few bin bags and a small fire didn't tidy up.
They told us they are doing some logging up there. Some of the trees are marked for clearance. We shall see.
Basically mountain bikers have and always will get chased off land eventually unless they are "OFFICIAL TRAIL CENTERS"
with
small humps
small jumps
small berms
no drops what so ever
no natural roots
no rock garden
no freeride
raised decking to avoid wet areas
slow controllable speeds
= NO FUN
Obviously I won't, but it's like the guy that got hurt breaking into someones house... he was in the wrong but the homeowners were sued... check it out, true story... f*cking ridiculous!!! Quit Wasting your Taxpayers Money Congress... you already owe the rest of the world more money than you actually own.... another of the bad ways to spend... bail out failing banks with promise of ZERO interest over the following years, Bail out failing car manufacturer so that their upper management can keep their outrageous salaries and don't have to sell any of their 7 Private jets, while the real workers take layoffs/ paycuts... you are setting yourselves up for public revolt... fukkin idiots with deep pockets, ruin our fun so the rich stay rich and we stay under control.
- Let it rest for a season or two...the trails don't grow over that fast.
- Start riding again summer 2014...no building.
- Put up your own signs...(e.g. liability)
Get community support (IMBA) and slowly build your case. In 4 years you should be back again....don't see it as a lost battle but let it be an example of how to turn things around. The Washington state government is shooting itself in the foot here....they just don't know it yet!
Here is an example of a government employee taking an inclusive approach and helped develop a blue print for legitimate trails in a SHARED land use agreement between user groups and public land authority. And for Kevin Eskelin's efforts he is presented an award by the Premiere of B.C.
The story here paints Mark Mauren as incompetent and wasting resources creating a fight that cannot be won, no one wins when good efforts are met with animosity and destruction.
Mark Mauren
Assistant Division Manager Recreation Public Access and WCC Section
360-902-1047
mark.mauren@dnr.wa.gov
Go f**k urself and Die I a hole......A**hole
"u will never see that issue again" - Building on the Crownland is still illegal. I actually heard that one of the main reasons they haven't been destroyed due to lack of Gov't funds (which is working in their favor), but when upwards of 50% of your income is going to taxes, where does it all go? Oh yeah, "free" healthcare!
Note: This is not a knock on Canada, all you crazy PBers. I wish I lived in BC for real!
vimeo.com/40136320