Greetings Union County Mountain Bikers,
There has been a flurry of activity since the Freeholder meeting which I last emailed you about. Approximately 30 mountain bikers attended the meeting, and a handful stood up and spoke on our behalf. Of particular note was a presentation given by Andrew S., supported by Jamie M., JORBA and a core group of concerned locals. The presentation was vetted through JORBA and clearly outlined our case to the freeholders. They heard us and responded positively, promising another stakeholder meeting in the coming months to discuss the master trail plan and timelines.
It is important to note that one person stood up and spoke in opposition of our request for access to the reservation at the meeting. Since then there has been a letter posted in a Westfield newspaper opposing us, and a few social media posts voicing opposition. This is normal, and expected. It does not warrant a negative response which escalates into a conflict. We all love the outdoors, and love the trails. We have just not found a way to communicate how awesome mountain bikers are to some folks.
I will once again ask all of you to be patient, take the high road, and demonstrate the highest level of professionalism when dealing with these uninformed individuals. We all know very well that mountain bikers are very good partners to land managers all over NJ, America and the world. We know that a vast majority of us expect and respect other trails users and use trail etiquette in all instances. Understand that there is a small contingent of folks who are unaware of this. They are the less than 1 percent of trail users who have had a negative encounter on the trails, or have watched one too many Mountain Dew commercials back in the 80's. Its ok. We still have work to do.
It is all of our responsibility to reverse this perception of our group. We are not motorized, we are people-powered recreation. We do less damage to trails than equestrians, and similar damage as hikers, as proven beyond any argument by multiple independent studies. All of this means nothing if we interact poorly with other trails users, or if we fail to educate a new mountain biker. No one cares if JORBA has given back millions of dollars in volunteer hours if the one experience they have with a cyclist is bad.
We also look very bad when we disobey the current ban in Watchung. Yes, when the signs came down we all saw it as a soft opening. I asked the county staff for clarification and was met with silence, and many of you went and rode. I don't blame you, the silence from park officials was confusing. The lack of signs and interactions with the good folks who patrol the reservation led us to think we had moved past the silly ban. The new signs, although painful, confirm that we have a lot more work to do. Ask yourself how important your next ride is compared to future rides on sanctioned, and in a perfect world, purpose-built for MTB, trails.
Enough of my ramblings. This post finds me scrambling to pack for the Marysville MASS Series Finals this weekend out in PA while I wrangle the rugrats. All of this work in Union County can pay dividends to our kids, and the many future generations of kids who we need to get on bikes and in the woods. Please help make that a reality. Be an ambassador for our sport. Take the high road. Keep the social media and personal interactions pro, and keep your eyes on the prize. We WILL establish a legal trail in Watchung, and with your help will establish a core group of volunteers who will eventually become partners with the land manager to the mutual benefit of all trail users.
Some quotes and email excerpts since our last correspondence:
Freeholder meeting report:
"Meeting was strong! Probably had 30-40 people from the MTB community. 6 of us spoke. We will follow up Monday with the freeholders to establish open communication/input lines. They WILL include MTB in the Reservation. We just need to make sure it's done right...."
From the brass:
"The Union County Parks Department is sponsoring a meeting with interested mountain bikers regarding recommendations from the Watchung Reservation Trails Master Plan that would create a separate trail for bikers. The meeting will be held Thursday, October 20th at 7 p.m. at the Trailside Nature and Science Center at the Watchung Reservation in Mountainside. There is no sign-up or reservation required. Parks representatives and a consultant will present information on the new trail to the group, and answer questions. Please note this meeting is intended for interested bikers only, as the County will hold separate meetings for hiking and equestrian trails later this year."
That is all I have for now. As always, if you have questions or concerns, please email me:
ken@jorba.org.
Thank you to Jamie, Andrew, Brian, Matthew and all of you on this list who have stepped up and taken responsibility and initiative to represent our voice in Union. I am dedicated to your cause, and will do all in my power to see us succeed.
Happy Trails,
Ken Seebeck
President, JORBA
Jersey Off Road Bicycle Association
www.jorba.org
ken@jorba.org
Join our unified voice of MTB'rs in NJ:
www.join.jorba.org
