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dirt. Michelle Barker, Cedar Rapids Linn Area Mountain Bike Association Linn County Trails Association. Linn Area Mt. Bike Association. Works in partnership with : City of Cedar Rapids Linn County Iowa Coalition of Off-Road Riders

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  1. dirt. Michelle Barker, Cedar Rapids Linn Area Mountain Bike Association Linn County Trails Association

  2. Linn Area Mt. Bike Association Works in partnership with: City of Cedar Rapids Linn County Iowa Coalition of Off-Road Riders to build and maintain soft trails in Linn County and surrounding areas

  3. Designed and built over 10 miles of soft surfaced trail at NO cost to the city and county! Maintain over 20 miles of soft surface trail through volunteer efforts.

  4. Advocate for multi-use soft surface trails for mountain biking, hiking, bird watching, trail running, geocaching, snowshoeing, etc.

  5. Participate in conservation efforts of natural spaces: • Sustainable trail design for longevity of resource use by the public. • Restoration of oak tree savannah partnership with • DNR, Trees Forever, and other groups. • Over 200 hours this year devoted to • controlling an invasive species, • garlic mustard.

  6. Why am I here today? User conflict and ways to work together.

  7. Why share dirt trails? • Satisfy user demand • Preserve resources • Land? • Money? • Build community • Peer influence • Common ground • Enhance stewardship • Grow volunteerism • Strengthen advocacy

  8. What is user conflict? “Social conflict is a disagreement of perceived values (IMBA)”

  9. Environmental Conflict Perception: “Mountain biking causes excessive trail damage and unacceptable environmental impacts (IMBA)” Reality: “Mountain biking impacts are on par with hiking and less significant than those of motorized vehicles or horses (IMBA)”

  10. Safety Conflict Perception: “Mountain biking threatens the safety of the rider and other visitors (IMBA).” • Reality: • From a survey of 40 • resource managers: • only one case of • walker injury. • 300 accident records stated very few from bike-walker collisions. • Almost none of the thousands of incidents over several years of • statistics in the German Alps involved bikes and walkers. • (Cessford, 2002)

  11. Social Conflict Perception: “Mountain bikers have goals and values that are incompatible with those of other trail users (IMBA).” Reality: Sharing of similar values (IMBA)

  12. Benefits of Mountain Biking • Conservation • Recreation • Economics: • “Trail systems of the North Shore, Squamish and Whistler, are • estimated to have collectively generated $10.3 million in spending • from riders that live outside of the host community over • [a four month period].”

  13. Practical solutions… • Information and education • User involvement and partnerships • Regulations

  14. 1. Provide information • Signage • User patrols • Clinics

  15. 2. Encourage involvement • Organize users • Encourage trail work • Host shared-use events

  16. 3. Regulate lightly • Enforcement = expensive • Types of sharing • Preferred use • Alternating use

  17. Cessford, G.R. 2002. Perception and Reality of Conflict: Walkers and Mountain Bikes on the Queen Charlotte Track in New Zealand. Western Canada Mountain Bike Tourism Association. (n.d.). Sea to sky impact study. International Mountain Bike Association. Editor: Webber, P. (2007). International mountain bicycling association's guide to providing great riding. Denver, CO.

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