Scary Conintental Divide flyers

If you've been out and about, particularly around any popular mountain bike areas, you've seen flyers saying there is a threat to close the Continental Divide Trail to mountain bikes, which would curtail prime riding in Summit County and on the Monarch Crest, among other places.

Most of it is hyperbole. There is a new draft management plan in the works, but as far as I've heard, no efforts to give bikers the boot.

Here's the latest recommendations from the Continental Divide Trail Alliance

Highlights of CDTA’s official comments on the Proposed Directive:

CDTA recommends the following nature and purpose statement: “The nature and purposes of the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail are to provide for high quality, scenic, primitive non-motorized recreational experiences, primarily for the hiker and horseman, and to conserve the nationally significant natural, scenic, historic and cultural resources along the Continental Divide.”

CDTA believes that motorized travel on the CDT substantially interferes with the nature and purpose of the Trail and does not support the location of the CDT on motorized trails.

CDTA believes mountain bike use is one new non-motorized use that should have qualified access to the CDT outside of Wilderness and National Parks under certain restrictive guidelines.

CDTA recommends a “congressionally designated area” or “special area” along the Trail route be incorporated into land management planning to protect and manage critical Trail values and experiences and these areas be managed for “primitive” and “semi-primitive” experiences of Very High or High scenic qualities.

So there you go, bikers. Take a deep breath.

You can submit commets to the Forest Service before the October 12, 2007 deadline. Visit http://www.cdtrail.org/ for more information.