Source: Whatcom Trails Co-Op www.whatcomtrails.com
What is happening?
Beginning on April 2nd the Washington State Department of Resources (DNR) will be decommissioning all user-built bike trails on Slide Mountain at the North Fork Nooksack in Whatcom County.
The work, estimated to cost $23,000, will begin on April 2nd and will be done by the DNR and a crew from Washington Conservation Corps. Work will include closure signage, removal of larger structures, blocking and revegetating trail entrances, and a gate to block all motorized access to Slide Mountain.
Starting April 7th, DNR law enforcement will be patrolling the area and riders found on the trails will receive a ticket of $120 the first time, and will be subject to arrest for trespassing the second time.
Why is this happening?
Whatcom Trails Co-op and Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance were informed of the trail decommissioning two weeks ago by DNR. At that time the explanation for the closure was that an individual from a motorized user group was insisting that if motorized use wasn’t allowed on Slide Mountain, then all unauthorized trails must be closed down.
In an effort to learn more about DNR concerns and find a way to address them while keeping trails open, we arranged a meeting that was held Friday, March 23rd. What we heard from DNR was that there was no solution short of complete closure, a position which is made all the more difficult to accept given that much of this area is currently being logged—a scale of impact beyond anything non-motorized recreation could ever cause.
The DNR was represented at the meeting by Region and Division staff and by the statewide recreation manager. The primary concerns expressed by DNR, and our responses, were:
· Unauthorized Trail Construction – Certainly it is true that there are mountain bike trails on the hill and DNR has difficulty managing unauthorized trail areas. However, it is also true that there are hundreds or thousands of miles of unauthorized, non-motorized trails on DNR forests across the state and very little effort is made to decommission or enforce closures on those trails, even those with clear environmental impacts. It is important to note that there are no authorized areas to recreate on DNR land in Whatcom County. Unauthorized areas like North Fork are reflections of the huge unmet need for recreational access.
· Structures – Most "structures" are simple bridges, built to span wet zones or creeks that were constructed in accordance with industry-leading trail building standards. We offered to decommission any structure that wasn't built to address sediment or erosion concerns.
· Sediment / Erosion – The North Fork was closed to motorized use roughly 7 years ago because of heavy sediment runoff from the trails and four-wheeling in or near the North Fork of the Nooksack. Sediment transport is not a real issue for the trails constructed by mountain bikers because:
1. We have no trails near the river.
2. Our trails were specifically routed to avoid creeks and riparian zones wherever possible and were built sustainably to avoid erosion and reduce maintenance.
3. When necessary, bridges were constructed from blowdown (not live trees) for spanning any small creeks or wet zones.
4. Put simply, it would be difficult and unenjoyable to ride a mountain bike in such overtly muddy areas, resulting in a low-quality recreational experience and an obvious detrimental effect on the environment.
· Popularity - Despite our attempts to keep the area from becoming widely known, it has become too popular. Riders are now coming not just from Bellingham but from across the state and even Canada - a testament to the quality of the trail network and the need for such human-powered recreational areas.
What can you do?
Whatcom County residents and business owners:
If you live in Whatcom County and access to outdoor recreation is a quality of life issue for you, please contact the people listed below to voice your displeasure about this decision and ask them for an interim solution which keeps trails open while working towards a formal Recreational plan for the North Fork area.
Seattle/Tacoma Mt. bikers:
Contact DNR staff and Whatcom County Tourism and voice your displeasure with this decision and ask them for an interim solution to be determined while working towards a formal Recreational plan for the North Fork areas. Also, please let them know that you spend money at businesses in Bellingham and Whatcom County because of this trail network.
Canadian riders:
If you live in British Columbia and ride the North Fork, please email Whatcom County tourism, Whatcom County commissioner and Whatcom County council members letting them know that you ride the area and spend money at businesses in Bellingham and Whatcom County because of the trail network.
Contact Information
Legislators:
The area impacted is represented by legislators in the 40th and 42nd districts—if you are unsure which district you live in, you can look it up here: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/districtfinder/.
40th District
|
Senator Kevin Ranker 215 John A. Cherburg Building PO Box 40440 Olympia, WA 98504-0442 (360) 786-7678 |
Rep. Kristine Lytton 310 John L. O'Brien Building PO Box 40600 Olympia, WA 98504-0600 (360) 786-7800 |
Rep. Jeff Morris 436A Legislative Building PO Box 40600 Olympia, WA 98504-0600 (360) 786-7970 |
42nd District
|
Senator Doug Ericksen 414 Legislative Building PO Box 40442 Olympia, WA 98504-0442 (360) 786-7682 |
Rep. Jason Overstreet 422 John L. O'Brien Building PO Box 40600 Olympia, WA 98504-0600 (360) 786-7980 |
Rep. Vincent Buys 470 John L. O'Brien Building PO Box 40600 Olympia, WA 98504-0600 (360) 786-7854 |
DNR Staff:
· Peter Goldmark – DNR commissioner cpl@dnr.wa.gov or info@votepetergoldmark.com
· Mark Mauren – Head of Recreation - mark.mauren@dnr.wa.gov
· Steve Jennison – Baker District Manager - steve.jennison@dnr.wa.gov
Whatcom County Executive:
Jack Louws - JLouws@co.whatcom.wa.us
Whatcom County Council:
· Bill Knutzen - bknutzen@co.whatcom.wa.us
· Kathy Kershner - kkershne@co.whatcom.wa.us
· Ken Mann - kmann@co.whatcom.wa.us
· Sam Crawford - scrawfor@co.whatcom.wa.us
· Carl Weimer - cweimer@co.whatcom.wa.us
· Barbara Brenner - bbrenner@co.whatcom.wa.us
· Pete Kremen – pkremen@co.whatcom.wa.us
Whatcom County Tourism:
Talking Points
We are intentionally not crafting a form letter because they do not make the same impact as personal letters. If you care enough about the trails and the area, please take 10 minutes to write something and send it to the appropriate folks above.
Your letter should state what you want and why, and should ask for a response. We've highlighted a set of goals below that you can use in your letter.
