IMBA Club and Rep eNews: July 2006

* Georgia Mountain Bikers Get Politically Active to Save Trails
* Start Planning for Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day - Oct. 7
* Make the Grade in Your 2006 IMBA State Report Card
* RTCA Benefits from Your Efforts
* Mountain Bikers Should Apply to Serve on Forest Service Committees 

Georgia Mountain Bikers Get Politically Active to Save Trails
Savvy advocacy solved yet another trail issue and made the front page of Georgia's Gwinnett Daily Post to boot. After years of easy access in Yellow River Park, riders were caught by surprise when a county parks plan recommended eliminating several great singletrack routes. In response, local riders formed the Gwinnett Area Trail Riders (GATR), a chapter of the Southern Off-Road Bicycling Association, and their political advocacy paid off. Trail restoration will now be performed to maintain the narrow width and flow of Yellow River Park singletrack. As an additional bonus, GATR has established relationships with land managers and elected officials that will aid them in future access issues.

Start Planning for Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day - Oct. 7
Now is the time to start planning your club's event for Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day (TKMBD). Scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 7, the third annual TKMBD is an excellent way to cultivate the next generation of mountain bikers. Last year, more than 100 events attracted thousands of kids nationwide. Perhaps 2006 is the year to take your event to the next level and join the IMBA clubs who are members of Trips For Kids, a non-profit dedicated to teaching mountain biking to kids who otherwise wouldn't be exposed to the activity. Visit IMBA's 10 Tips for Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day to plan your event.

Make the Grade in Your 2006 IMBA State Report Card
Knee-high by the Fourth of July, as the old agricultural adage goes. Farmers know that a good early season is key to the harvest. Why not treat your IMBA state report card the same way? Start designing a strategy to assimilate information and prepare your case for a good letter grade or lobby for a bad one that will bolster your advocacy efforts. Take a page from the Michigan Mountain Biking Association by giving grades to different regions in your state and asking state tourism officials to issue press releases that challenge your riders to up the ante. IMBA has also compiled five easy strategies for leveraging your state's grade for better access.

RTCA Benefits from Your Efforts
A big thank you goes out to the IMBA Reps and club leaders who took time to call and meet with their members of Congress in the campaign to save the Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program (RTCA), part of the National Park Service. As a result, the Senate voted to maintain funding and rejected the $500,000 cut proposed by the president and approved by the House of Representatives. Final negotiations with the House are scheduled for later this summer. The outlook for RTCA is much brighter and IMBA will let you know how things turn out.Visit IMBA's RTCA website to learn more about our partnership.

Mountain Bikers Should Apply to Serve on Forest Service Committees
Want to take a role in deciding how recreation fees are used in your neck of the Forest Service woods? The process of soliciting nominations for members to serve on Recreation Resource Advisory Committees (Recreation RACs) will begin soon and spots are reserved for non-motorized representation. Recreation RACs will provide recommendations on certain kinds of recreation fees for both the Forest Service and, as appropriate, the Bureau of Land Management. The agency is currently looking for members to fill committees in California, Oregon, Washington and the Southern and Eastern regions. You can visit the Recreation RAC website for more information.