Author: admin

This is an important time. You can, and should, provide your input to the ACFL Advisory Board if you want to see changes to the Comprehensive Plan that governs our access to the forest lands. Go to this page and either pick a date for a visit to present your ideas publicly, or email Bob Vaux with your ideas.

I will continue to work to gain more access to trails, and for modern two-stroke bikes to be allowed back in the ACFL.

Hope to see you at one of the meetings.

I was interested in how much access we as a group have to the forest lands, so I took the three maps of the trails, added up the mileage, and did some math. Here's what I came up with:

When we consider our limited riding season, it really shows.

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.

Hello ACFL Moto community!

There is a lot happening this year. Changes to the Comprehensive Plan that will affect us all are being considered, and I need you input!

Hope you had a good winter and got your bikes running well for this season. I’ve been hiking the trails all winter, riding MTB too, and it’s nice to be back out on the Moto. The trails are holding up well, I’ve seen a few of you out there, and have been talking to Bob Vaux, Assistant Parks and Recreation Director, about making some changes.

Some bad news though, seems we’ve had some community members riding the trails out of season, causing damage by riding off-trail, and when the ground is too wet to support motorcycle activity. Apparently, some riding is happening now, and has been off season as well, on non-motorized trails. This is not good, gets a lot of attention, and shines a bright, bad light on our user group. 

Along those lines, as you all know, it’s easy to excavate dirt with our spinning rear tires when we use too much throttle. Easy solution, don’t spin. If the trails are wet and muddy, maybe wait a few days for the them to dry out enough to ride with minimal impact. This will keep wear low and preserve the trails.

Riding in the ACFL is a privilege. Let’s keep that in place by abiding by the rules and respecting other user groups. Not meant to be a blast, just a reminder.

Here's one big change that will provide more inclusion to community members: Over the past few years, I’ve met some of you who ride modern, fuel-injected two-stroke bikes and, unfortunately, had to remind you this type of engine is not authorized in the ACFL. This year, pre-season, I’ve reached out to Bob Vaux and the Forest Advisory Board hoping to make some changes.

This engine restriction, imposed by the Comprehensive Plan, is my biggest concern this year, because every motorcyclist, as a member of the community, should have access to responsible use of the trails. It’s not the type of engine you have, but your noise signature and speed that has a negative effect.

Making changes to comprehensive plans is always difficult, yet necessary, so I asked for some assistance from the Northwest Motorcycle Association (NMA), a diverse organization actively involved in balancing the needs of the motorcycle community with those of other user groups state-wide, among other things. You can visit their site if you’re not familiar with the organization. Lots of great information there.

Lori Taylor is the NMA representative I’ve been working with, and I’ve learned from her that the two BIGGEST issues with motorcycles on trails shared with other user groups are NOISE and SPEED. The type of engine (two- vs four-stroke) is not a concern, as some would guess. 

Fortunately, Anacortes already has a speed limit on all trails of 15MPH for all user groups, and noise limits rules that are aligned with the state limit (RCW 46.09.470) of 105db, which is above the NMA’s event limit of 98db. Like I said, noise and speed need to be kept in check. Right now I’m in the process of working with the city to remove rules restricting engine type, and impose stricter noise limits that align with the NMA’s. I’m looking to support the engine change by limiting two-strokes to modern, fuel injected versions. Emissions are lower, and stock exhaust is within the lower decibel limits.

Here’s a link to the current Rules and Regs for the ACFL from the City's site. Go to page 33, section e, to read the official rules, or click here for a link on this site.

Ride well, ride safely. See you on the trails.

When the ACFL is closed, too wet, too crowded, or you just don't feel like riding local, the closest place to us is Walker Valley OHV Park in Mt Vernon. Bring your Discover Pass. Have fun. Here's a link: https://www.mvpf.org/walker-valley-off-road-vehicle-trails

Other riding spots in the area are Tahuya, south of Bremerton, and Capitol Forest southwest of Olympia.

Link to Tahuya map: https://www.dnr.wa.gov/publications/eng_tahuya_both.pdf?hicnj

And here's some administrative info regarding Capitol Forest or you can link to other areas from here: https://www.dnr.wa.gov/Capitol

There are georeferenced maps for many of the riding areas in the DNR. An app called Avenza works great in these riding areas. Get Avenza then download the maps: https://www.avenza.com/avenza-maps/

We have been having some excellent weather the past few days, and the trails are in great shape. Early in the season I was a little concerned that because it had been so wet, we’d do some damage to the trails with all the use I’d been seeing. But, as always, the ACFL trails have healed up nicely and are in perfect condition.

Steve Philips, our Parks Department Ranger, and his crew have been busy keeping the growth on the sides of the trails cut back. They’ve also removed quite a few trees that fell over the course of the winter and early spring. Special thanks to them!

As a reminder, stay in the middle of the trails as much as you can, especially in the middle of puddles. It keeps the trails from growing too wide.

There are a lot more folks out on the trails these days. If you cross paths, take time to stop and get to know the other users of our wonderful Anacortes Community Forest Lands. A little kindness from a Moto rider goes a long way for all of us.

Enjoy the season out there!

The 2021 riding season in the ACFL is upon us. Get out and enjoy it!

This is bit of a pre-season trail report. So far, trail conditions have been very good. During the winter I spent the days I could get out in the ACFL riding my MTB and hiking, and have been watching closely to see how the trails recovered from last year's use. Over the past year, since Covid-19 fell upon us, there have been a lot more people out using the Forest Lands for all kinds of recreation. Last year we had a boom in community members getting out on eBikes and enjoying the ACFL, which was great to see. I didn't notice any adverse effects from last year's season. Overall, the trails are in the best shape I've seen them in for years.

It’s been especially good to see, despite the increase in use both from motorcycle and eBike, there has been no effect on the condition of the trails. If anything, the impact has been positive for the community because more folks got out into the woods to recreate and interact with nature. 

The winter was tough on the trees with all the rain and wind. We lost quite a few to windfall, and the City of Anacortes’ Steve Phillips has been working hard to keep the trails clear. Kudos to Steve for his drive and willingness to work tirelessly in the Forest Lands for all of us.

This season, I expect we will continue to see more usage, and ask that you all continue to be courteous and respectful of the other users on the trails, like you always are. It makes a positive difference in the way other user groups see us! Take the time to stop and talk, and make a new friend.

Here’s a quick reminder of the basics:

-650cc limit applies to dual-purpose bikes

-250cc limit for all others

-4-stroke bikes only at this time

-Speed limit is 15 MPH

-eBikes are limited to Motorcycle Trails only

If you have any comments, positive or negative, or need help getting a question answered, reach out to me so that I can get you an answer or work with the City on your behalf. Heck, reach out any time and let me know what you’re thinking.

Happy Trails!

Riders, I've met a few of you out on the trails and would like to start a list of active riders. With that, I can start to get to know you, and be able to help the Parks Department know how many of us ride. Best way to contact me is through the email link. Just send me your name, contact information, and a message or a concern you'd like me to address.

Those of you I've talked to have been interested in looking into re-opening existing trails to motorcycles so our community of users can connect the trail systems of each of the three areas in the ACFL: Whistle Lake, Heart Lake and Cranberry Lake.

Look forward to hearing from you. Ride safe, stay well.