US Forest Service Issues Stark Warning Against "Rogue" Trail Building In North Carolina
Mountain biking was a sport founded on building illegal trails. However, as the sport has become mainstream, legal trail systems have become a reality in most places.
This does not mean that riders do not still stray outside the law to build trails, however. According to SORBA, the advocacy group for Pisgah National Forest, it is a continual problem. See their warning about the Forest Service’s efforts to halt the construction and riding of illegal trails.
Pisgah National Forest is a popular riding destination in Western North Carolina. The National Forest is home to some beautiful scenery and amazing mountain bike trails.
In recent years, the problem of rogue trails has grown, enough that now the Forest Service is cracking down. In addition to the builders, people riding unsanctioned trails are also liable to be ticketed.
Though some mountain bikers may complain about this clamping down on mountain biking, it is important to remember that the federal government does not mess around.
While the scale of the detrimental effect unsanctioned trails have on the environment can be overblown, it is still valid for a landowner to preserve nature, not bother animal travel, and not create excess runoff problems.
Though the curbing of illegal trails is always unpopular with mountain bikers, maintaining good relationships with landowners is better for them in the long run.
Related: New England Trail Association Blasts 'Rogue' Trail Builders
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