WildernessBicycling launches.
It’s early March, 2009, and we’re finally online with a web site, blog, and forum about Wilderness and Bicycling. Many exciting adventures ahead.
– Gary Sprung
WildernessBicycling launches.
It’s early March, 2009, and we’re finally online with a web site, blog, and forum about Wilderness and Bicycling. Many exciting adventures ahead.
– Gary Sprung
Gary,
Thanks for the continued hard work you put in for access to trails for bicycling. We have some amazing backcountry that exists in Roadless Areas in Virginia’s National Forests. Many of those areas would be very good Wilderness candidates if bicycling could still be continued on trails in those areas. Bicycling is currently allowed in these special areas and it is compatible with the most stringent resource protection ideals. Bicyclists are huge contributors to the National Forest in Virginia. We won’t settle to be excluded from riding in these special places. Keep pushing on!
Cheers,
Chris
Gary-
This is great. Thanks so much.
Do you have the 1984 regs posted?
Thanks,
Patrick
I won’t bore you with the entire sections… Here’s the prohibition language. Subpart (b) was added in 1984. The mechanical transport language, from 1966 and still on the books is below:
TITLE 36–PARKS, FORESTS, AND PUBLIC PROPERTY
PART 261–PROHIBITIONS-Table of Contents
Subpart A-General Prohibitions
Sec. 261.16 National Forest Wilderness.
The following are prohibited in a National Forest Wilderness:
(a) Possessing or using a motor vehicle, motorboat or motorized equipment except as authorized by Federal Law or regulation.
(b) Possessing or using a hang glider or bicycle.
(c) Landing of aircraft, or dropping or picking up of any material, supplies, or person by means of aircraft, including a helicopter.
[42 FR 2957, Jan. 14, 1977, as amended at 42 FR 35959, July 13, 1977; 50 FR 16231, Apr. 25, 1985]
————————————————
regarding “mechanical transport”:
TITLE 36–PARKS, FORESTS, AND PUBLIC PROPERTY
PART 293–WILDERNESS-PRIMITIVE AREAS
Sec. 293.6 Commercial enterprises, roads, motor vehicles, motorized
equipment, motorboats, aircraft, aircraft landing facilities, airdrops, structures, and cutting of trees.
Except as provided in the Wilderness Act, subsequent legislation establishing a particular Wilderness unit, or Secs. 294.2(b), 294.2(c), and 294.2(e), paragraphs (c) and (d) of this section, and Secs. 293.7, 293.8, and 293.12 through 293.16, inclusive, and subject to existing rights, there shall be in National Forest Wilderness no commercial enterprises; no temporary or permanent roads; no aircraft landing strips; no heliports or helispots, no use of motor vehicles, motorized equipment, motorboats, or other forms of mechanical transport; no landing of aircraft; no dropping of materials, supplies, or persons from aircraft; no structures or installations; and no cutting of trees for nonwilderness purposes.
(36CFR Sec. 293.6)
(a) Mechanical transport, as herein used, shall include any contrivance which travels over ground, snow, or water on wheels, tracks, skids, or by floatation and is propelled by a nonliving power source contained or carried on or within the device. (emphasis added)