July 5, 2007
Barbara Boxer
112 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
RE: California Wild Heritage Act of 2007
Dear Mrs. Boxer,
I am writing to express my concern that the Wilderness designation you propose for the vast tracts of land specified in the Wild Heritage Act will render them recreationally useless to me. You see, I ride a mountain bike, and if these areas are designated as wilderness I will no longer be allowed to enjoy them after my own fashion.
I live in Santa Monica, in Los Angeles County. Regularly, I ride trails in the Angeles, Sequoia, Los Padres, Cleveland, and San Bernardino National Forests. Some of my favorite trails would become off-limits to bicycles. Less often but with every bit as much enjoyment I ride in the Tahoe, Humbolt-Toyaibe, Shasta-Trinity, Eldorado, Inyo, and Stanislaus National Forests. And I'll be riding in more as my life permits.
Mountain biking is a peaceful, environmentally sane activity, and I do not think it fair or right to outlaw it from our public lands.
A mountain bike is not the same thing, and does not belong in the same classification, as an Off-Highway Vehicle, a 4x4, a motorcycle, or an ATV. A mountain bike is not powered by gasoline, and it weighs a fraction of the weight of the human controlling it. The bike and rider do not disturb others who are miles away.
The types of trails that would be closed by these new Wilderness designations are the kind of trails used by the most responsible of mountain bikers. For example, take the proposed Condor Peak Wilderness. I myself have ridden Condor Peak Trail numerous times. It is very narrow, with several sections that feature steep drop-offs, even cliffs. To get to the top of the mountain, one must climb either Condor Peak Trail, Trail Canyon Trail, or Mendenhall Ridge Fireroad. In no case will the rider ride less than 16 miles, and climb less than 3000 feet, give or take.
Years of effort are required to acquire the skill, endurance, and strength necessary to pedal a bicycle over such a trail. The person who has put in this effort has no less respect for the trail and its surroundings than the hiker, climber, equestrian, or fisherman who enjoys his or her day in the woods, and probably has more.
To take that experience away from me and my fellow bicyclists is simply not right. I'm sure you will want to tell me that many miles of roads and trails will remain open to bicyclists should this bill become law. Well, I and my fellow cyclists want the backwoods experiences we ALREADY HAVE AVAILABLE to REMAIN available to us and to future generations of bicyclists. Riding a dirt road at the edge of town is just not the same thing as riding a trail deep in the back of beyond.
I have voted for you in each election since you first ran for the Senate. However, if you continue to support designating these lands in a manner that will outlaw bicycles, I will not continue to vote for you. I'll vote for a candidate who will support my quiet enjoyment of the outdoors.
I say this knowing that one vote in 15 million isn't worth much. But it's the principal of the thing - I cannot support you if you don't support me.
Sincerely,
William O'Neil
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s110-493
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=s110-493
Scroll to section 101, Designation of Wilderness. How many of your favorite trails would be rendered illegal?
Barbara Boxer
112 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
RE: California Wild Heritage Act of 2007
Dear Mrs. Boxer,
I am writing to express my concern that the Wilderness designation you propose for the vast tracts of land specified in the Wild Heritage Act will render them recreationally useless to me. You see, I ride a mountain bike, and if these areas are designated as wilderness I will no longer be allowed to enjoy them after my own fashion.
I live in Santa Monica, in Los Angeles County. Regularly, I ride trails in the Angeles, Sequoia, Los Padres, Cleveland, and San Bernardino National Forests. Some of my favorite trails would become off-limits to bicycles. Less often but with every bit as much enjoyment I ride in the Tahoe, Humbolt-Toyaibe, Shasta-Trinity, Eldorado, Inyo, and Stanislaus National Forests. And I'll be riding in more as my life permits.
Mountain biking is a peaceful, environmentally sane activity, and I do not think it fair or right to outlaw it from our public lands.
A mountain bike is not the same thing, and does not belong in the same classification, as an Off-Highway Vehicle, a 4x4, a motorcycle, or an ATV. A mountain bike is not powered by gasoline, and it weighs a fraction of the weight of the human controlling it. The bike and rider do not disturb others who are miles away.
The types of trails that would be closed by these new Wilderness designations are the kind of trails used by the most responsible of mountain bikers. For example, take the proposed Condor Peak Wilderness. I myself have ridden Condor Peak Trail numerous times. It is very narrow, with several sections that feature steep drop-offs, even cliffs. To get to the top of the mountain, one must climb either Condor Peak Trail, Trail Canyon Trail, or Mendenhall Ridge Fireroad. In no case will the rider ride less than 16 miles, and climb less than 3000 feet, give or take.
Years of effort are required to acquire the skill, endurance, and strength necessary to pedal a bicycle over such a trail. The person who has put in this effort has no less respect for the trail and its surroundings than the hiker, climber, equestrian, or fisherman who enjoys his or her day in the woods, and probably has more.
To take that experience away from me and my fellow bicyclists is simply not right. I'm sure you will want to tell me that many miles of roads and trails will remain open to bicyclists should this bill become law. Well, I and my fellow cyclists want the backwoods experiences we ALREADY HAVE AVAILABLE to REMAIN available to us and to future generations of bicyclists. Riding a dirt road at the edge of town is just not the same thing as riding a trail deep in the back of beyond.
I have voted for you in each election since you first ran for the Senate. However, if you continue to support designating these lands in a manner that will outlaw bicycles, I will not continue to vote for you. I'll vote for a candidate who will support my quiet enjoyment of the outdoors.
I say this knowing that one vote in 15 million isn't worth much. But it's the principal of the thing - I cannot support you if you don't support me.
Sincerely,
William O'Neil
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s110-493
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=s110-493
Scroll to section 101, Designation of Wilderness. How many of your favorite trails would be rendered illegal?