IMBA blatantly gives the wrong information to the Forest Service

Incorrectly Quotes Participation Study
In a letter to the Alleghany National Forest in support of mountain biking at Tracy Ridge, IMBA gives the Forest Service totally incorrect information.  The whole letter can be viewed here: http://tmanshikes.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Tracy-Ridge-Shared-Use-Trails-EA-Comments-Google-Docs2.pdf 

The letter written by Anthony Duncan, Altantic Region Director of IMBA says the following:

Screen shot from IMBA Letter to the Forest Service

 Let’s take a look at page 11 of the 2016 Outdoor Recreation Participation Report.

As you can clearly see,  “Road Biking, Mountain Biking and BMX” COMBINED is the Third Most Popular Activity by Participation Rate and Second in Frequency.

Anthony Duncan clearly writes that mountain biking has those statistics, which is not even close.  He also writes that mountain biking has shown an increase in participation over the most recent three year period, which is also completely wrong.  When you take a look at the individual sport breakdown on page 34 of the report, you find a different story.

It clearly says that mountain biking participation was at 2.9% in 2013, and 2.8% in 2014 and 2015, which were the last three years covered by the study.  And as you can see from the breakout, even backpacking, which is listed two rows above mountain biking, has better numbers than mountain biking.  That's right, people would rather lug a backpack into the woods than go mountain biking.

Impacts to Wildlife

In the “Impacts to Wildlife” section of the letter, it mentions a study by Audrey Taylor and Richard L Knight is favorable to mountain biking.  It says the study notes “a general lack of difference between wildlife responses to hikers and bicyclers..." But here is a quote about that study.

Screen shot from Taylor and Knight study

That's right, since Mountain Bikers cover 2 to 3 times more ground than Hikers, they are disturbing 2 to 3 times more wildlife.  This all seem rather logical.


STC's Gig
Misinformation has always been the Sustainable Trails Coalition's Gig.  Right from the get go, when you visit their website they are lying.

Screen shot from STC's website

Really? Do they have just ONE quote from President Lyndon B Johnson that he never intended to ban bicycles in Wilderness Areas?  NO THEY DON'T.

While the Sustainable Trails Coalition is "Just Making Up Stuff," it's sad to see that IMBA is blatantly giving out the wrong information.