ENHANCING  MOUNTAIN  BIKING  OPPORTUNITIES IN  THE  ADIRONDACK  PARK  THROUGH  THE  UNIT  MANAGEMENT PLANNING  PROCESS

Overview of Mountain Biking Regulation in the Adirondacks
In 1992, the Adirondack Park Agency (APA) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) signed a joint memorandum of agreement that permitted mountain biking on all Wild Forest classified lands, while prohibiting mountain biking on all Wilderness classified lands in the Adirondack Park.  The memorandum was in response to the tourism, bicycling, and regional planning interests which identified the economic and recreational potential for mountain bicycling in the Adirondack Park.  In light of the delays in completing the Unit Management Plans, the memorandum opened a window of opportunity for bicycling on Wild Forest Lands unless prohibited on a specific trail because of special conditions or other uses.  That window permitted the identification and inventory of popular mountain bicycling trails which was then undertaken through a joint effort of the Adirondack North Country Association, the Adirondack Mountain Club, and the LA Group.  Their joint effort resulted in the Adirondack Park Mountain Bike Preliminary Trail and Route Guide that was published by the Adirondack Mountain Club in 1995 and lists over 100 popular mountain biking routes. Since the preliminary listing, some counties, such as Franklin and Essex, have identified other routes at the local level and additional routes continue to be identified through the Adirondack Park Mountain Bike Initiative.

Since the early 1990s, few trails have been closed to mountain biking, with most interested parties waiting for the Unit Management Planning process to provide the forum for discussing and studying which trails are most popular and appropriate for mountain biking.  That time has now arrived.  Over the next two years (2002-2004), a Unit Management Plan (UMP) is going to be completed for every Wild Forest Unit in the Adirondack Park, 29 plans in all.  As of March 2002, only two UMPs are complete, eight are in progress, and new plans will begin on a monthly basis.  Access to trails popular among recreational mountain bikers could be limited or prohibited in a Unit Management Plan unless advocates and participants make their preferences known during the planning and public comment periods

The remainder of this page provides information on how you can participate, has links to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's website on UMPs, lists local contacts knowledgeable on mountain biking, and provides background information and research.  We encourage all interested parties to educate themselves on mountain biking and to participate in the public comment process by attending meetings, writing letters, sending emails, etc.  If you plan to attend a public meeting or submit comments in support of mountain biking, we encourage you to be as specific as possible in your references to trails and locations.