[pct-l] Wilderness Act and bicycles

[Ryan Christensen]

Hi, 


Yes- the Wilderness Act bans all mechanical transport in the Wilderness:

"...there shall be no temporary road, no use of motor vehicles, motorized 
equipment or motorboats, no landing of aircraft, no other form of 
mechanical transport, and no structure or installation within any such 
area." 

http://www.wilderness.net/index.cfm?fuse=NWPS&sec=legisAct


This has since been specifically interpreted to extend to bikes.


The issue is not sections of the PCT inside designated Wilderness. 
Fortunately, they are permanently protected from the destruction bikes 
cause. The issue is the portions of the PCT outside of Wilderness. 


ProDeal

 
http://www.facebook.com/SavethePCT



________________________________
 From: "jimniedbalski at aol.com" <jimniedbalski at aol.com>
To: pct-l at backcountry.net 
Sent: Wednesday, October 10, 2012 5:21 PM
Subject: [pct-l] Wilderness Act and bicycles
 
I
 won't get into all the arguments of the potential troll as identified 
by Brick, but the statement below (bikes should be allowed in WIlderness
 as Congress intended) is interesting. Short of reading the full text of
 the Wilderness Act, does anyone know if bicycles are specifically 
banned from Wilderness areas? Certainly motorized vehicles are, as we 
know, but does it ban self-propelled wheeled vehicles? I want to say 
they are banned, but in thinking about it I'm not 100 percent sure. 
Naturally, what Congress
 intended, as opposed to what it actually passed, are two different 
things. 




?- cyclists will use the PCT to go into Wilderness. ?Let me say that bikes 
hould be allowed into Wilderness (as Congress intended), but that's beyond the 
oint. ?Frankly, if a cyclist wants to go ride in Wilderness, that same person 
ill ride the PCT whether it's legal or not. ?So, legalizing the PCT will not 
hange whether cyclists go ride in the Wilderness.