Middlesex Fells Reservation : RMP Initial Public Meeting Coming Up

FellsBiker.com

Middlesex Fells Reservation
Stoneham Medford Winchester Melrose Malden, Massachusetts

RMP Initial Public Meeting Coming Up

January 19th, 2011

The DCR is beginning the RMP process in the Fells this Wednesday (26th), holding the first public meeting.

The Resource Management Plan is the process the Fof has insisted must be done before ANY changes can be made to mountain bike policy.

There will be several subsequent meetings as well.

It remains to be seen if the DCR is just stringing mountain bikers along with the promise of fairness, or if this really is just a small speed bump on the road to real, fair change in the Fells.

But we should all go to these meetings ANYWAY. Even if the deck is stacked: if only bike-hating tree-huggers show up to these meetings, it won't look like the deck is stacked, And it won't look like mountain bikers got fed up from 20+ years of getting shit on. It will just look like bike-haters care and mountain bikers don't. So go to the meetings!

Initial Resource Management Plan Public Meeting
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
McGlynn School Cafeteria
3001 Mystic Valley Parkway, Medford

Comments
Bikers vs Hikers

What ever gives you the idea that we hikers are bike-haters? Jeez, talk about polarizing.

Comment Posted by (littlek31 at hotmail dot com) on February 5th, 2011
"We"?

To what "we" are you referring to? Are you an FoF member? Your comment suggests I called ALL hikers "bike-haters", but I don't see where I said or implied anything like that.

Comment Posted by (john at fellsbiker dot com) on February 5th, 2011
I am part of a hiking group that hikes in the Fells. If a hiker wants restricted access to bikers you consider that bike-hating, right? You seem to me to be painting us all with the same brush. I've spent an hour here and at the FOF trying to figure out what you want to do with the Fells. Do you want access to every trail? You state that research shows bikes don't do more damage than pedestrians. Can you identify that research more specifically? I don't think hikers and bikers need to be in opposition. The PFD on your site describing trail changes makes sense to me, in general.

Comment Posted by (was supposed to be private) on February 5th, 2011
Check Your Source

Yes, if a hiker doesn't want me to be allowed to enjoy the same trail as them, I consider that bike-hating. The argument "We don't hate bikes, we just want them off our trails" doesn't hold water. You keep saying that I'm painting "us" with the same brush, but I don't know what group you are accusing me of generalizing, and I also don't know what brush I'm supposed to be painting with. I you accusing me of calling ALL hikers "bike haters" because I refer to "bike-hating tree-huggers" showing up to DCR meetings and fighting against bike access? I don't see the connection there, at all. Also. If you are going to the FoF learn about what BIKERS want, you are looking in the wrong place. Ask a mountain biker what a mountain biker wants, don't ask a group who's primary function is to fight against bikers. The DCR's draft trail plan concluded that hikers and bikers had equal wear on the trails. I suggest you start by reading their sources for that conclusion. Or you can go to more FoF meetings and hear about it's all a mountain biking conspiracy when the DCR doesn't agree with the FoF's positions on biking. Hikers and bikers don't [b]need[/b] to be in opposition. But we will continue to be until we are treated equally.

Comment Posted by (john at fellsbiker dot com) on February 6th, 2011
My usage of 'we' and 'us' was in reference to hikers in general. I hear your point that you're not referring to all of us hikers. I think the rhetoric can be intense on either side, and it can be easy to forget that the squeaky wheels are far fewer than the masses. I came here mostly to learn about the mt bikers' perspective. I did some research last night. What I came away with is that research is limited, but the consensus is that bikers do no more harm than hikers (as you said). This seems even to be true in more highly sensitive ecologies than the Fells. I am happy to know this. I have been talking with friends who bike and friends who hike (sometimes they are the same person). There seems to be a need of education both ways. When biker and hiker meet on a trail, who steps aside? Can we improve communication on the trails ("On your left!")? Would you be open to letting hikers onto the bike trails? I, for one, have always avoided them for bikers' sakes. I can't think of a time where I or any of the people I hike with had a problem with bikers. I guess I am still trying to figure out where I stand on the whole usage thing. Thanks for letting me bounce some ideas around.

Comment Posted by () on February 6th, 2011