Sent via email to:
Recreation Planning Staff
Attn: Linda Skinner
Royal Gorge Field Office
Bureau of Land Management
3028 E. Main St.
Canyon City, CO 81212
Request for additional multiple-use, motorized single-track recreational opportunities within the Royal Gorge Field Office’s areas of responsibility
Dear Linda:
Please accept this letter on behalf of the Trails Preservation Alliance (TPA) requesting consideration by the Bureau of Land Management’s, Royal Gorge Field Office (RGFO) for additional recreational opportunities within the jurisdictional boundaries of the RGFO, specifically for multiple use, motorized single-track trails.
The TPA is a volunteer organization created to be a viable partner to public land managers, working with the United States Forest Service (USFS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to preserve the sport of trail riding and multi-use recreation. The TPA acts as an advocate for recreational trail riding and takes action to ensure that the USFS and BLM allocate a fair and equitable percentage of public lands access to diverse trail multi-use recreational opportunities.
Albeit this letter has been unsolicited by the RGFO, the TPA would like to offer our suggestion for enhanced recreational opportunities available for motorized single-track riding opportunities in OHV recreational spaces such as the Seep Springs, Penrose Commons, Big Bend OHV Park and Texas Creek areas.
The TPA is offering these comments because we believe it is fundamental and important to highlight and emphasize that multiple-use, motorized single-track is a very unique and special recreational experience just like a “downhill mountain bike trail”. That riding motorized single-track is no different than the cherished single-track trail riding experience that is embraced by the mountain bike community. It is well documented through multiple local sources, maps and guides (e.g., BLM’s Colorado Recreation Guide 2017, Backyard to Backcountry,) that the trail network and associated recreational spectrum of recreational infrastructure within the Colorado Front Range has very sparse multiple-use, motorized single-track riding opportunities on both USFS and BLM lands. Most conspicuously, there exists very few motorized single-track riding/trail opportunities designated for beginners or intermediate level riders looking for that very special recreational experience of “riding single-track”. As stated earlier, motorcyclists appreciate and cherish the single-track riding experience just like mountain bike and horseback riders do.
The TPA would offer our support for the RGFO’s consideration of any additional multiple-use, motorized single-track riding opportunities within the RGFO’s jurisdiction. The TPA is available to provide our technical expertise in planning, selecting and designing new multiple-use, motorized single-track trails and enhancing the recreational experiences of off-highway motorcyclists. The TPA is also willing to provide letters of support in the future should the RGFO decide to apply for CPW OHV grant funding to plan and or construct multiple use, motorized single-track trails. The TPA also has limited financial resources of our own that we could be willing to commit to the RGFO for the construction of new or additional multiple-use, motorized single-track trails.
In summary the TPA requests and supports the RGFO’s consideration of new and additional multiple-use, motorized single-track trails. Please feel free to contact myself, Don Riggle at 719-338-4106 or info@coloradotpa.org.
Sincerely,
D.E. Riggle
Director of Operations
Trails Preservation Alliance