Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1960's

"Let's Not Go Back to the Horse & Buggy Age" By Chuck Clayton A few mouths ago the U.S. Govemmeut slapped down a venerable old eeGuservatioDist society· by takiug away its tax exempt status "aad showiug it to the nation for what it is: A political pressure group, not a conservatiou club. In its misguided march against progress this pressure group called "the Sierra Club- spent fortunes recently lobbying against" the Government plans to dam the rampaging Colorado Ri ver and provide hydroelectric power and irrigation that will benefit millions. Employing exaggeration to the extreme, the Sierra Club claimed, in em~ tional advertisements. that the proposed dam is some kind of a plot to destroy the Grand Canyon! Fear not. kiddies, the Grand Canyon will still be there whenever Evel Kneivel decides to jump across it. This was a typical example of what.we can expect from the Sierra Club. however, for lately, its financial wings somewhat clipped and its reputation in tatters. the Sierra Club has turned its spleen against us. the unprotected trail bike outdoorsman. "The National Forests belong to the Hiker and the horse!" trumpet the publicity mills of the Sierra Club. "Of[ limits to remote area vehicles,· whisper their lobbyists, and especially" BAN THE MOTOR-BIKES!· As the letters reprinted on this page testify. the armchair travelers of the Sierra Club are up to their old tricks: obstructionism in the guise of conservation. According to Sierra Club gospel, no person who can not afford to keep a horse. and no one who is so busy in the work of the world that he cannot take the time to hike deserves to enjoy America's unpaved wilderness. Now the rich old members of the Sierra Pressure Club are arguing with Foresty administrators. They want to keep people out of "their- wilderness. Presumably, they want to prevent their "inheritance- from being defiled by the hoi-polloi. It seems unnecessary to spell out the advantages of mo toring over the horse and foot, but at the expense of superfluity. let us apply these advantages to the outdoor life. Tbe average citizen in the U.S. today is about 25 years of age. He or she lives in an urban environment most of the time, where It is difficult ifnot impossible to stable livestock. In pursuit of renef from urbanity, the citizen flees to the countryside. only to find it fenced and subdivided. He travels farther in search of someplace where. like Thoreau. he can recreate himself in nature. Where the pavement ends. nature begins. Here, say the Sierra Clubbers, one must get out and walk. But the average person has responsibilities to get back to in a few days or weeks. His walking range is limited to a few miles• .And what if his personal "Walden Pond- does not lie within that pedestrian radius? "That·s too bad. - say the ultra conservationists. ·You should have been born rich. like us." We say you don't have to wait until you are a Menlo Park millionaire to enjoy your natural heritage. Tbe modern convenience of the trail bike now makes it possible to visit distant laket and meadows far off the beaten p atb. and still be home in time to punch the clock on Monday. As people have discovered the benefits of two wheel trailing, trail bike use has grown enormously. with two wheelers now outnumbering horsemen manyfold. Forestry officials. happy to see more citizens enjoying their preserves, have expressed almost unanimous approval of the motorbike. This is not to say that Foresters don't recognize that the new outdoorsmen create new challenges for the science of Conservation. Certainly now that speeds above a walking pace are a reality on the trails. some sort of speed limits will have to be devised for the remote area vehiclist. The extent of fire hazard needs to be examined and controls devised if necessary. Tbe question of erosion and watershed damage (two favorite evils drummed up again and again by the Sierra Clubbers) which trailbikes may cause should be studied and preventive measures taken. again if necessary. In solving these ptoblems of the modern age, the Foresty Service can count on the wholehearted cooperation of the motorbike fraternity. We wish to create a place in the wilderness for ourselves without driving out the horsemen, without diminishing the peace and recreation of the hikers. We have proved that we can be depended upon to shoulder a pick and shovel and make riding tralls for our little wbeels (and for boofs and bobnails as well. See article on next page). Woald those who wanl to hobble us do as much? We are not asking for unlimited access to every forest region. Certainly some wllderness sbould remain virtually untouched by man for anotber century or more. We would not want to see motorbikes or horses on tbe Jobn Muir Trail. for example. However we do desire at least the same freedom that horsemen enjoy. After all. our motorbikes don't eat grass. nor dirty the trails. We will cheerfully yield the path to borsemen. because we realize the borse rider has less control over his mount than we do. By tbe same token. a hiker should probably move aside for trail bike riders. Let there be a wave and a grin and perhaps a cheerful word as we pass, each enjoying the great outdoors in the way he loves the best. We doubt that the Forest Administrators make important decisions by "weighing their mail. - as tbe Sierra Club seems to think they do. But if you wish to send a comment to the Porterville meeting, go ahead. Tbe meeting will be held in the City Council Chambers in Porterville. Calif. at 9:30 a.m. Thursday. March 16. Address of the Regional Forester is: Calif. Region Forest Service USDA. 630 Sansome St•• San Francisco. Calif. 94111. SIERRA CLUB STIRS UP TROUBLE ON THE TRAILS By Roy D. Ruddock, Pres., Natl. Trail Riders Assoc., Box 4, Chatsworth, Calif. "I was a stranger and ye took me in" could be very aprnpros. NTRA was delighted to see the trail map and news blurb on the Sequoia National Forest - lnyo National Forest hearings which are to be held in Porterville, California on March 16. (See Vol. IV #6) What we are taking exception with is that "Cycle News" didn't do its homework on the importance of these Sequoia-Inyo hearings. The map which you printed is the same which was rejected by practically all cyclists t:amil.iar with the area in similar hearings held last year. An astounding reaction from the tw~wheel enthusiasts prompted a delay in enacting this prollOsal, pending further studies. This hearing, March 16th. is the extension orthe overall study being conducted by the Forest Service. To generalize the situation: lnyo and Sequoia National Forests have had unrestricted motor vehicle (two-wheeled) travel within the boundaries of their forests, excluding Wilderness. prollOsed Wilderness and a few single trails. Cross-country till vel is prohibited, thereby limiting travel to existing roadways or trails. It will remain so until the study is cOlIIPleted. or until recommendations are made by Regional Forester Charles Connaughton. The map. dated May I, 1966. shows the motor vehicle tral.1s which would be available to us should this proposal be adopted. This is a mere fraction of what is available now. Let's Not Be Shut Out The area in Question is primarily territory which has been the domain of the hikers and packers prior to the advent of trail bikes and scooters. The high mountain country that appeals to the hunters and fishermen. the scenic areas that appeal to everyone. These are the areas that we are fighting to keep within the reach of the trail rider. These are the areas that the packers and ultra-conservationists would keep us from entering. This upcoming meeting March 16 at Porterville will provide the Sierra Club interests and the High Sierra Packers Association npportunity to fully air their complaints. Their astonishment at te~ porary defeat by the cyclists can best be described in bulletins (content copy below) which were sent to all members. They have had nearly a year to plan their new attack; we must all renew our efforta to stave off this attack. We reSPectfully ask that Cycle News now use the power of a fine newspe.per to express your view on this IlU blic hearing and encourage as many readers as possible to attend the hearing and encourage as many readers as possible to attend the hearings in Porterville, or at a minimum - write and let their feelings be known. Let's not let the cyclist be shut out again. We caa well .depend on the Sierra Club aad other couserv&tiou groups to attend the Porterville meeting in force. Those who caanot attend will write letters - aad they do write letters. Some of these letters are printed here to dflllOustrate the Sierr& Clubbers' intentions. Dear Member of Kern-Kaweab: Tbe Inequitable decision of the Forest Service must be rectified. It Is a cballmce to all of us wilo sItU yeam to bike or ride a few soulhern Sierra trails wldlout havin& to yield to tbe motor bille. A noocl of prolest5 In the office of Regional Forester Conaaupton may be coavi.nc1ng moucb to reverse that decision. The ~ttle bere Is one of principlethe ridit of unrestricted use of trail blkes anywhere on public lands versus our demands for certain basic limitations on two-wheeled machine uses. A Ilrst major victory of the tote-cote fraternity must be prevented, at all costs. Sequoia NaUoaal Forest had PfOP08ed a reasonabl e closure plan. It would prob1bit veb/cle access to the Golden Trout and Little Kern areas adjacent to sequoia National Park. These areas are managed as wilderness In antld...tion of fonnal dedic.... lion of tbese lands In tbe ational Wilderness System. This Is delicate wilderness not able to survive the b...den of 100 much ·people pressure" whicb the tote-gnles eaco....ce. Only 10% of the tolal Forest Servlce-adminisl.ered acreage In the southern Sierra Is involved in the vebicle exclusion. The alTOgant tote-gnters, who pu~ licy argue that half of· the forest users are trail bike-bome, have made shrewd use of exaggeration (they over-est1mate their nUIII ber and popularity by several fold), insinuation and mass bysleria tactics. Their letle.-wriUng caqlalgn, In which one motorbike manufacturer reportedly contributed lIICWe thaD two-dozm letters, showered Mr. Connallll:bIoo with 400 objections. Be capitulated to diose 400 vehicle vans because be .....·t heard hom that great crowd of us who like the woods silent and serene. Our response must be lmmediale, It must be strong but not Innammatory, and it must overwbelm the Regional Foresler and the powers In Washington. throu&h Mr. Freeman and Mr. Hagan. We want 10.000 letters. Via a special mailinC we bave aslled Sierra Club membet1l throu&hout the nation to beed our call. Your leiters are most Important of all, fnr they represent sentiment from the local area. the area in which this cri Is over trail principle bas er,.tecL If yon want to help Kem-Kaweah C....ter In any way Ibis year. write today uslnC the sm.le fonnnla. Adcnss yoDnlelf to Repoaal ForeslerC..-uPton, with cartIoD copies to Mr. Freeman and Mr. Bagan. TbanlI you. SIERRA CLUB 2923 20th Street Baliersfield, Callfomla Dear Member: This letter I Intended for diose members of the Kem-Kaweah Chapler of the Sierra Club who are concerned about the cause of conservation. You will recall that the Forest Service recently proposed a plan for restriction of travel by vehicles In part of 5equoia National Forest. The Irall veb/cle people mo...ted a letterwriting caanpalgn that netted three h..... dred to four b...clred letters of prolest to the plan. As a result, al a meetln& of the Forest Service official in SaD Francisco, the plan was rescinded. Veb/cles may now use Sequoia National Forest without restriction. This is the time for diose of you who have wanted to belp with conservation, but didn't know what you coald do, to step forward. Letters to Reponal Forester Charles Connaughton with carbon copies to Conp-essman Barlan Bacan are de&perately needed. The vehicle restriction plan Is a compromise as far as our Interests are concerned. The Forest Service should be commended for taking this step, but It Is only a SIIIall step If the wilderness interests of &roUps like the Sierra Club are to be protected. Don·t let the trail bike people be the only ones who exe.cise the ript of protest. If we do not make our feelin&s known now, tbe Fo.est Service bas uo choice but to how to the wishes of the tote-gnlers. The cause of conservation and wilderness prolection depends on your ~ Write to the officials listed below and send a copy to the editorial page writer of your local newspaper. The Honorable Charles ConnaU&hton, Orville Freeman, Reponal Forester Congressman Bob Mathias, Secretary of Ap1culture (Sicned) Conservation Chairman Sierra Club Kem-Kaweab C1Iapter

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