On April 2, 2012, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) closed the popular mountain bike trails at the North Fork. Whatcom Mountain Bike Coalition (WMBC) and Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance (EMBA) negotiations with the DNR to re-open the trails at the North Fork have come to an impasse, after a year, with our local legislators’ unanimous support, and many meetings. The DNR stated that they won’t support any short-term re-opening of trails and are strictly moving towards a Long-Term Planning Process to address recreational needs in Whatcom County. This decision comes despite no time-frame or available funding of a large recreational plan and goes against the will of a community and its supporters. We need your voice to be heard in support of a low cost, volunteer powered solution to today’s recreation needs at the North Fork.
What can you do?Please write to the DNR representatives below and your local legislator to seek their support for both an interim solution to reopen the North Fork trails and the funding for the the DNR’s Long-Term Planning Process for all user groups in Whatcom County. Be brief and respectful, but resolute in your support for the trails at the North Fork.
SAVE THE DATEJoin us Sunday, 4/21 for the North Fork Volunteer Day to help us clean up trash at the North Fork at 10 AM, and Barbecue at 2PM. Stay tuned for more details!
Please send a copy of your letter to admin@whimpsmtb.org for our archive, thanks!
DNR contacts:cpl@dnr.wa.gov Peter Goldmark, Washington Commissioner of Public Lands.
lenny.young@dnr.wa.gov Lenny Young, Department Supervisor
kyle.blum@dnr.wa.gov Kyle Blum Deputy Supervisor for State Uplands
chris.hanlon-meyer@dnr.wa.gov Chris Hanlon Meyer (acting) Northwest Regional Manager
laurie.bergvall@dnr.wa.gov Laurie Bergvall – NW Assistant Regional Manager
State Legislature:If you’re unsure of your legislators, you can
find them here.
It is easiest to find your Senator and Representatives contact info using you voter district number and CTRL=F on
this excel spreadsheet.
Whatcom County residents of the 40th district:
kevin.ranker@leg.wa.gov
kristine.lytton@leg.wa.gov
jeff.morris@leg.wa.gov
Whatcom, Island and Skagit County residents of the 42nd district:doug.ericksen@leg.wa.gov
vincent.buys@leg.wa.gov
jason.overstreet@leg.wa.gov
Why is the North Fork so important to us?Check out this video that tells the story of why our community needs the North Fork riding area to be open and what makes it special to us.
Here in Vermont, all trails that are on state land are all maintained to a high standard, environmentaly safe but face the same problem- The State will not permit things built that are not natural or change the elevation of the trail, with the exception of bridges. Liability. If you ask me, government is a liability. Tax me on everything and then tell me I can only ride what they say I can? Wrong.
Until a group of public equestrians come to the public lands. They want to use them too, and the wooden features are dangerous for the horses so they asked they be removed and that bikers obey a speed limit for safety.
Then there is a public group of dirt bikers they are fine with the trails but the mountain bikers hate that the trails are now all torn up and nearly impossible to ride.
Then some deer hunters want to use the public land to hunt and people get worried they are going to get shot.
The whole time public hikers are annoyed with most every group.
The scenarios are endless even if the government auctioned off parts of the land for 99 year leases for your particular sport it would come down to who had the most money or most lobby members who got to use the land.
I spent several years on Whidbey Island and that is where I got my start in mountain biking but I don't envy someone trying to decide how and who gets to use public lands. Trying to ride dirt bikes here in California makes mountain biking in Washington seem simple.
While building your stashes, work on convincing the powers that be that the trails will save/make them money. Law suits are the big hurdle. Good luck.