On May 4th, I attended the ACFL Advisory Board meeting at City Hall and made public comments, introducing myself, sharing philosophy and passing feedback I got from some of you I’ve met on the trail.
This year, the City is rewriting the forest Comprehensive Plan, and I see an opportunity and need to expand Moto access to our community lands. In particular, I want to remove the restriction on two-stroke motors, as many of you who own bikes with these power plants are excluded from access to your forest lands. I want you to have access like the other user groups do.
As I’ve said before, the contention with motorcycle use in the ACFL is due to our noise and speed, which includes trail damage, riding out of season, and riding closed trails. This does not reflect well on our user group and will lead to further exclusion to all motorized users.
During my time before the Board, I emphasized that it’s not the engine type, but the rider’s decisions of where and how to ride, and exhaust noise that is the issue with other groups. Damage to trails is a result of poor choices, not engine type. To that, I requested a trial, much like the one e-bike riders have going on right now, which allows them continuous access for a year to all the trails open to mountain bikes, where their damage could be assessed.
Rather than asking to have all two strokes immediately granted access, which is too drastic a change, my request was that I ride my 2023 two-stroke in the ACFL this season to collect input and comments from anyone I crossed paths with, specifically about my noise signature. I could then use the data to support the removal of two-stroke restrictions.
I’d argue most folks don’t know the difference between the two engine types, and would have no issue with the modern two-stroke, as stock noise levels are similar across both engine types.
I fielded a few questions from the Board, but was not convincing enough to get immediate and positive support for my proposal. However, rather than moving forward with a no vote, Bob Vaux, Assistant Parks and Recreation Director, suggested the Board table their decision until later in the Season.
The ACFL Advisory Board meets every 1st Thursday at 6:00 p.m. at City Hall in the Council Chambers. June is their hike in the forest in lieu of a meeting at City Hall, and July is their vacation month. So the next meeting is in August. I would highly encourage you to attend and support your community with public comments to the Board. I will be there, making comments and continuing to support access to the ACFL for all of you. Come with your reasoned thoughts and be ready to ask for support and access. Show the Board what you want by being there. Bring your whole family. Show them the next generation is real.
In the mean time, I am reaching out to advocacy organizations that help motorcycle riders access their public lands. They are the Blue Ribbon Coalition (Idaho based), Ride with Respect (Moab, UT), and continued contact with the Northwest Motorcycle Association to help support my call for access. To read the letter I sent the Board (it’s a public document) follow this link.