[pct-l] Bikes and Enforcement

[Barry Teschlog]

As is usual, L-Rod has some thoughtful comments on the subject.  I hope, being a 
PCTA board member, she brings up this subject at the next Board Meeting, 
especially with respect to the Hike the Hill campaign and pressing the matter 
from that angle.  Certainly the IMBA and the Wilderness B clowns are pressing 
the matter from their perspective.

I will observe the Board of any corporation (yes, the PCTA is an EVIL 
corporation - I say it holding up a pinkie finger and with tongue firmly in 
cheek on the evil part) sets the policy and over all direction in tandem with 
the senior executives of the corporation.  As L-Rod is part of the board, I hope 
she will think it wise to bring up this matter for discussion and what they can 
do with their resources on this subject.  


Perhaps the PCTA can make funds available from the donors to push some of that 
money back to the local Forests to spend on some enforcement, say around Sierra 
Butte's where I had my run in with 6 MTBers in '06, and in the Mojave area with 
the massive damage from ORV bunch.  The Forest's may not have sufficient budget 
to do the enforcement patrols, but were they provided some funds for overtime 
(like what big city down town business associations do to get extra police 
patrols in their districts), perhaps some targeted enforcement could be had.

With some hiker provided intel (here is where volunteers can certainly help) as 
to where and when they've seen MTB & ORVers, it should be reasonably evident 
where on the trail that limited patrols of Rangers would be likely to encounter 
some of the scofflaws and issue some citations.  While a few hundred bucks fine 
is pitifully inadequate, it's better than nothing.

Even if there is no PCTA sourced funding available for additional anti-MTB 
enforcement perhaps PCTA policy should make it (illegal use of the trail by MTB 
/ ORVs)  a regular topic for the local regional reps to bring up to their 
respective Agency partners, especially in the problem areas. 

I'd suggest that enforcement is a form of routine maintenance and upkeep.  It 
does only limited good to improve the trail, to buy up threatened view shed 
properties, to reroute off the Mojave desert floor, to keep power lines away, 
etc if the trail experience or if the trail itself is damaged or destroyed by 
illegal use, be it MTBers, ORVers, vandals or whomever.  These lawbreakers can 
destroy faster than the volunteers or paid trail crew can maintain or restore.  
Add to that the sense of futility that would come from putting in the hard work 
to restore a section of trail only to not be able to enjoy it due to being run 
down by MTBers.  After all, who in their right mind would spend volunteer time 
or limited money to fix the trail near Mojave until the illegal ORVers and the 
damage they cause have been suppressed to a tolerably low level?   It would be 
nice to read in the communicator some more articles on how the PCTA prodded the 
Forest Service and Law Enforcement to issue some citations (like they did with 
the Mojave situation earlier this year).   That anti ORV / MTB enforcement had 
to wait (in that case) for booby traps to appear on the trail before anyone 
would act indicates the priority is a bit too low.