WILDERNESS ACT PICKS UP MOUNTAIN BIKER SUPPORT

A state coalition of mountain bike enthusiasts has come out in support of Sen. Barbara Boxer's California Wild Heritage Act, which would place some 2 million acres off limits to logging, mining and off-road vehicles, including mountain bikes. Hiking, fishing, hunting and camping would be allowed.

The support from Mountain Bikers for Wilderness, a statewide group that started in Chico, is counter to the position taken by many off-road recreationists who see the bill as a land grab that will diminish their opportunities for fun. Don Massie, the local spokesman for MB4W, said his group supports the bill because it balances access with conservation.

"I enjoy mountain biking because I can experience nature," Massie stated in a press release. "But there are some places the should be designated wilderness to protect them in their natural state."

California currently has more than 100,000 miles of trails and roads open to mountain biking, with more set to open in the future. Boxer's bill would set aside about 9,000 acres locally, most near the Feather River Canyon.

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