Taylor Bushnell
Hey Fellow OBRA racers, Southern Willamette Valley riders seek your help!
The Disciples Of Dirts 15-year vision to create a mountain biking area at Carpenter Bypass (Whypass) can finally become a reality with your help!
Whypass is a homegrown singletrack network built by local mountain bikers. It lies mostly on BLM land just 30 minutes southwest of Eugene and affords over 20 miles of fun, bike-specific singletrack. Recently the BLM completed an Environmental Assessment (EA) and now its our turn to ensure mountain bikers get what weve worked for all these years by emailing the BLM during the public comment period which ends on September 14th, 2012.
The EA includes three options.
Option 1 = No change from the way things stand today (no designated mountain bike area).
Option 2 = Designation as a mountain bike riding area including a sweet parking area with a brick & mortar bathroom plus pre-approval for 10+ miles of additional singletrack. Option 2 excludes equestrian use of Whypass trails.
Option 3 = Provides equestrian use on a small portion of the Whypass trail network.
Whypass trails are defined by their limited sight lines and steep, tight nature built specifically by & for mountain bikers. But equestrians recently heard the area may become exclusive to bikes so just this summer theres been trail damage by horse hooves, excessive horse manure all over the trails plus the potential for unsafe trail interactions between bikes and horses. For these and other reasons, Option 2 is mountain bikers best bet. Please email the BLM at the address below in support of Option 2 in its Environmental Assessment of Carpenter Bypass.
Equestrian organizations, including several beyond the local area are encouraging their members to write to the BLM during the public comment period in support of equestrian use. The sport of mountain biking needs a strong and united voice now in order to take what mountain bikers have built to the next level a designated mountain biking area. Please help preserve Whypass for mountain bikers by writing to the BLM now!
Visit the Disciples Of Dirts website to follow the discussion and find a sample letter to the BLM in the Trail Conditions & Trailwork forum:
http://disciplesofdirt.org/content/whypass-ea-out
Heres a direct link to the BLMs EA:
http://disciplesofdirt.org/sites/default/files/EA-CarpenterBypassTrails.pdf
Thanks,
Taylor Bushnell
Land Access and Protection
Disciples of Dirt, an IMBA Chapter