WV Wilderness Bill Takes Bicycle Advocates by Surprise

January 24, 2008

The West Virginia Wilderness Bill that is slated to be introduced to both houses of the U.S. Congress next week was written without the knowledge or cooperation of the West Virginia Mountain Bike Association (WVMBA) or the International Mountain Bicycle Association (IMBA). The Senate and the House versions have both been written with identical language to put them on the fast track to passage by Congress.

If this bill passes it would close down over 50 miles of high quality backcountry trails to bicycles in the Monongahela National Forest and end special events like the Highland Sky 40 mile running race and the Odyssey Adrenaline Fix adventure race. All of these activities are important to tourism based economies in West Virginia counties like Tucker, Randolph and Pocahontas.

“All of the offices of the West Virginia delegation, both Senators and the three House members, had assured WVMBA and IMBA representatives that we would be ‘at the table’ when the specifics of boundaries and designations were negotiated and this did not happen”, said WVMBA vice-president Matt Marcus.

“The Ridge and Valley Wilderness Act in Virginia was worked out in advance by mountain bike and Wilderness advocates and now enjoys a broad base of support by a variety of users. We have been using this as a model of what can happen when we have talked to the WV delegation but they apparently haven’t heard that message yet.”

WVMBA and IMBA did not receive the Wilderness maps until January 11th, 2008 while Wilderness advocates had knowledge of the designated areas as early as October or November, 2007. Bicycle advocates found out about the Wilderness Bill from a Charleston Gazette article dated January 20, 2008.

“We have visited all of the WV members of Congress every year for the last five years and have been willing to come to the table with Wilderness advocates to compromise but the WV Wilderness Coalition formulated their position in February, 2003 and have not been willing to compromise one word since they introduced it,” said Marcus.

“The WV Wilderness Coalition has used deliberately misleading information and spin to convey the message that they have reached a compromise with the mountain bike community, but all we ever got was an ultimatum. People who are concerned about bicycling or special events in Dolly Sods North, Roaring Plains West and the Cranberry Expansion need to contact the WV members of Congress immediately. Thanks for your support!”

Below you find a list of your Repesentatives call or mail them, PLEASE!

SENATORS
Robert Byrd 202-224-3954
Democratic Sr Senator (WV)
John Rockefeller 202-224-6472
Democratic Jr Senator (WV)
GOVERNOR
Joe Manchin III 304/558-2000
Democratic WV Governor
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Shelley Capito 202-225-2711
CD 2, Charleston
Alan Mollohan 202-225-4172
CD 1, Fairmont
Nick Rahall 202-225-3452
CD 3, Beckley

Friends,
It is impossible for us to monitor all of the issues that may be good or bad with regard to our endorsement of any group. As a result we have removed our endorsement of the WV Wilderness Coalition and any other group or individual we may have supported in the past. We do encourage our customers to be politically active and support the issues that are important to them. Our website now has a link to contact your state legislators in Washington. We will continue to do what we excel at, and that is to provide the best in bicycles and service.

Chip Wamsley
Wamsley Cycles
January 25, 2008

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JR Petsko

I like the new forum section of the website, and this is the first I have heard about this issue in MON.

Regardless of whether or not we think our opinion can have any effect, if anyone else out there loves riding their bikes as much as I do, it is our obligation to express our disapproval.

I see this being no different than casting a vote in this year's presidential election. Watch the news, read the newspaper, and try to educate yourself on governmental issues. This country is great, but past politics have us in a bad place right now with healthcare, jobs, the environment, etc.

Give the folks on the above list a call, and for heaven's sake, VOTE! And don't just vote for the best "looking" candidate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uptVt2qCAJk

after watching this video does molohan have land near these areas?

Simply put, I believe we should not seek the lowest common denominator when it comes to wilderness and saddle a wilderness designation with exceptions, exclusions, and exemptions.
Nick Rahall

Anybody who think he going to makes exceptions for races like the highland sky are mistaken.. If he had his way you wouldn't even be aloud in the woods unless you were there to shoot something..

http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=159&f=2604&no=5#s=159&f=2604&t=1960962

peopleon this site seem a little confused about the bill..