The Impacts of Mountain Biking on Wildlife and People A Review of the Literature

"Every recreationist-- whether hiker, biker, horse packer, or poesy sniffer-- should not begin by asking, 'What's best for ME? ' but rather 'What's best for the bears?' " Tom Butler. "Will we keep some parts of the American landscape natural and wild and free-- or must every acre be easily accessible to people and their toys? … Mountain bikes ' impacts on the land are large and getting worse. … The aggressive push of mountain bike organizations to build ever-growing webs of trails poses serious problems of habitat fragmentation, increased erosion, and wildlife conflicts. As interest in extreme riding continues to grow, as trail networks burgeon, and as new technology makes it possible for ever-more mountain bicyclists to participate, even the most remote wild landscapes may become trammeled-- and trampled-- by knobby tires. … The destruction of wilderness and the fragmentation of habitats and ecosystems is death by a thousand cuts. Will introduction of mountain bikes-- and their penetration farther into wilderness-- promote additional fragmentation and human conflicts with the natural world? Yes. " Brian O'Donnell and Michael Carroll". Some things are obvious: mountain bikes do more damage to the land than hikers. To think otherwise ignores the story told by the ground. Although I have never ridden a mountain bike, I am very familiar with their impacts. For the last seven years I have regularly run three to six miles several times a week on a network of trails in the Sandia Mountain foothills two blocks from my home. … These trails receive use from walkers, runners, and mountain bikers; they are closed to motorized vehicles. Because I'm clumsy, I keep my eyes o