CCMR Advocacy

The Disappearing Trails - CCMR works to provide factual information to influence decisions on the future of our trails

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Have you ever been out riding and all of a sudden you come up on a sign that says your favorite trail system or connector trail is closed?

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It is CCMR’s mission to be a strong advocate for the preservation and creation of singletrack trails in the Central Colorado area.  While our focus is singletrack, our advocacy efforts benefit all responsible trail enthusiasts. 

    

Budget cuts for public trail systems, private groups working to eliminate trails, and increases in designated wilderness areas have escalated the closure of trails - and the connector trails they provide to recreation.  These losses often happen with little public awareness or debate.  You have only to look at the decades of trail closures in other parts of the country to recognize the trends and see that our Central Colorado recreation opportunities are at risk.

    

Motorized recreational enthusiasts are being out lobbied and outspent by people who advocate to reduce motorized/multi-use trails on our public lands.  CCMR recognizes the value of the nation's vast array of protected lands.  However, we also appreciate the recreational and economic value of maintaining and expanding mixed-use trails. CCMR will work with local governments, recreation groups, and public land managers to promote the maintenance and expansion of multi-use recreational opportunities.

    

We recognize that you can't influence public policy without a seat at the table.  When hearings are held and decisions are made on how Central Colorado public lands will be used, CCMR will work with like-minded organizations to bring awareness to public officials and land agencies on the historic, economic, and recreational value of multi-use trails.  We will advocate for collaborative decisions based on reasonable and balanced plans. 

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JOIN US in our efforts to work with the United States Forest Service (USFS), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and local governments and organizations to preserve multi-use trails in Central Colorado.

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CCMR Advocacy In Action

CCMR Board Members and Volunteers have spent countless hours reviewing proposals and submitting public comments for proposed changes by land managers, governments and private coalitions influencing actions on recreational lands.  We look forward to sharing more details about these efforts as we expand our website. 

 

PLEASE NOTE that CCMR needs more volunteers with editing and writing skills to join in our efforts.  Give as little or as much time as you can....  email CentralColoradoMountainRiders@gmail.com if interested.

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Success Stories

It can get discouraging at times to go up against the well-funded organizations that lobby to close and/or limit our trails.

However, there are some success stories.

 

CCMR's mentor, the Trail Preservation Alliance (TPA) was heavily involved in legislation regarding a Wilderness Study area which subsequently mandated motorized usage as a characteristic of the area to be protected and preserved by law - a first in the nation.

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A coalition group of five conservation groups represented as "Earthjustice" moved to file a legal challenge to the U.S. Forest Service’s official approval of hundreds of miles of routes for motorized vehicle use on the Pike and San Isabel National Forests.  Earth Justice claimed that these “never-analyzed” routes grew out of decades of inadequate off-road vehicle management.

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Conservation advocates, recreation groups, and the Forest Service settled the lawsuit filed by Earth Justice that challenged how the Forest Service manages dirt bikes, all-terrain vehicles, and other motor vehicles in the Pike-San Isabel National Forest. 

 

Click HERE for comments on Pike/San Isabel submitted by CCMR.

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Read about CCMR Success Stories that created new singletrack trails - The DudBob Trail , the Sundgren Sunset Trail, and the Rainbow Trail Reroute.