Moab Bureau of Land Management Considers Expanding E-bike use on 197 Miles of MTB Trails

Oct 9, 2024

Categories: Action Alert | BLM | E-bike | Moab | Save Moab | Utah
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Why you should submit here, even if you already have elsewhere!

We keep them honest. If everyone only comments through the government/agency site, we have to take their word on how many comments were received. By submitting through BRC, we create an independent record of our community’s response that can’t be buried or under-reported.

We protect your voice. If this fight ends up in court, having our own record of submitted comments means we don’t have to wait a year or more for a government agency to turn over documents. We can move quickly with proof that thousands of you spoke up.

We keep you in the loop. When you comment through our site, we can send you updates on what comes next. If you only use the government/agency site, you’re depending on them to tell you what happens next — and they won’t.

Double coverage matters. Even if you’ve already commented through the government/agency site, submitting through ours makes your voice count twice — once in their system, and once in ours. That way they know the OHV community is watching and tracking every move.

For years, BRC has been trusted to run action alerts like this. Thousands of members and supporters have used this system effectively to defend access to public lands. This isn’t about collecting your info — it’s about building the strongest, most transparent record possible to hold agencies accountable.

The Bureau of Land Management is accepting public feedback through November 1, 2024 on which non-motorized, designated mountain bike trails in the Moab field office they would allow class I e-bikes. There are currently 197 miles of mountain bike trails and 12 trail systems within the Moab field office. The recent Labyrinth Rims travel plan that closed 317 miles of motorized trails analyzed e-bike use in the area and decided to open 1 mile of trail for e-bikes.

This proposal to update policy to allow e-bikes on the other world-class biking trails in this system is a welcome development that brings BLM policy in line with the National Parks. Even though NPS has more restrictive mandates for protecting resources in the parks, they have decided to allow ebike use on mountain bike trails after extensive analysis was required because of a lawsuit brought forward by PEER. Hopefully other agencies, including the USFS will follow the National Park Service’s lead and abandon their unenlightened and discriminatory e-bike policies.

We support the MOAB BLM office’s willingness to consider the following trails for e-bike use:

  • Athena
  • Horsethief Trail System
  • Navajo Rocks
  • Magnificent 7
  • 7-Up
  • Getaway
  • Trails within Gemini Bridges
  • Gold Bar Rim
  • Portal
  • Klondike Bluffs Trail System
  • Baby Steps
  • Klonzo Trail Trail System
  • Moab Brands Trail System
  • Amasa
  • Jackson
  • Hunter Canyon Rim
  • Pipe Dream
  • Raptor Route Trails: Hawkes Glide, Falcon Flow, Kestral Run
  • Kokopelli

Studies repeatedly show that resource damage and safety concerns aren’t any higher with an e-bike than with a human powered mountain bike. The BLM should be accommodating all types of users. BRC would like to see all routes open to class I e-bikes. Add your voice to ours and submit a comment to the BLM below.

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