Last week, the U.S. Forest Service announced a new policy requiring local Forest Service managers to designate specific areas that will be open to snowmobiles and other over-snow vehicles. While this came as unwelcome news to snowmobilers who feel they鈥檙e unfairly being pushed off trails normally used by skiers, cyclists learned that the rule doesn鈥檛 apply to them.
On Thursday, the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) saying that the Forest Service has determined that bicycle use is outside the scope of the new rule. Bicycles are often banned from snow trails because they鈥檙e characterized as wheeled vehicles, but now the Forest Service distinguishes bikes as human-powered, differentiating them from electric-powered bikes. 鈥淲e鈥檙e glad to see that mountain biking is being consistently treated as a nonmotorized activity,鈥 Jeremy Fancher, IMBA鈥檚 interim director of government affairs, said in the statement. 鈥淭hough in this case that also means that the rule does not apply to us.鈥
IMBA will now work with the individual forests to outline the over-snow trails, since plans like that can affect bike access. 鈥淎ll travel management planning, for both summer and winter uses, is vitally important,鈥 said Fancher. 鈥淚MBA chapters should work closely with their region directors to track and participate in such planning鈥攅ach forest鈥檚 plan is unique and will benefit from the involvement of local recreational users.鈥