Forest Park Users, We need your voice (updated 10/23)
Submitted by TomArcher on Sat, 10/17/2009 - 1:34pm.
(UPDATE 10/23: Thanks all for your support. No need to write in anymore to our city officials - see Tom Archer's comments below.)
Dear NWTA members
We need your help on an urgent issue. Over the last few months, the Northwest Trail Alliance and our strategic partners have made great strides towards the goal of increasing trail riding opportunities in the City of Portland, including Forest Park.
As mentioned in my previous posts, a task force was formed by the Portland Parks & Recreation Bureau(PPR) with the specific charge of identifying options for increasing the amount of single track open to bicyclists in Forest Park by the summer of 2010. Members of the NWTA board and other cycling advocates secured a number of positions on that committee and are working hard to see that this mission fulfilled. This process is already underway and will continue over the winter.
We need your help! Our public officials need to hear from the off-road cycling community during this critical juncture.
Can you please write or call your elected representatives today expressing your support for the Forest Park Initiatives? Following is contact information for Mayor Sam Adams and other Portland City Commissioners, along with some talking points that you can include in your letter.
If you only send one letter, please address Nick Fish.
Portland Mayor Sam Adams
503-823-4120
samadams(at)ci.portland.or.us
Portland Parks Commissioner Nick Fish
503-823-3589
nick(at)ci.portland.or.us
Portland Parks Director Zari Santner
503-823-7529
pkzari(at)ci.portland.or.us
Commissioner Amanda Fritz
Amanda(at)ci.portland.or.us
Commissioner Randy Leonard
rleonard(at)ci.portland.or.us
Commissioner Dan Saltzman
dan(at)ci.portland.or.us
Please consider the following points in your letter:
- We appreciate their efforts to elevate the level of discourse about off-road cycling in the City of Portland
- Portland needs more off-road cycling opportunities
- Off-road cyclists are strong advocates for the environment and care deeply about the health of Forest Park
- Off-road cycling is a healthy, human powered activity that can co-exist with other park uses
- Off-road cycling facilities can be designed and managed in a way that preserves precious environmental resources within Forest Park, and within the guidelines of the 1995 Forest Park Management Plan
- Off-road cyclists are a significant and energetic constituency that can bring additional resources to the on-going management and preservation of Forest Park
I would appreciate if you would cc: this me on your letters: tom(at)nw-trail.org
Thank you for your help in our cause!
Tom Archer
Director of Advocacy
Northwest Trail Alliance
www.nw-trail.org
Are you a member yet?
I sent mine in. How about you?
Yep.
Thanks for taking the time to do this Tom. You efforts are very much appreciated. I posted your letter in a couple of other places online as well. I think that we will be getting a lot of positive suport from this. I encourage people to write, even if it is a one sentence "thank you" for considering the needs of mountain bikers.
Cheers!
Cyclocross damage in Forest Park?
Could you please elaborate on what you are referring to? Is this in response to people in general doing CX training rides in FP? Or, is there a recent/specific incident that has Parks' attention?
I don't ride FP much, but I can help spread the word.
This is why we need to speak up
The following is part of an email response I received from Amanda Fritz, Portland City Commissioner. This is an example of why we ALL need to be an ACTIVE participant by communicating with our local officials. We need to let our voices be heard and educate them on the truths about mountain biking. If you want bike access in Forest Park you need to invest a little time and help. Write a letter and attend public meeting. But don't count on others to do the work for you.
Commissioner Fritz wrote:
"Thank you for your message. I am happy to support off-road cycling in the Gateway Green project in East Portland, however I am not yet convinced that increased bicycle use of Forest Park is desirable.
Commissioner Fish is leading the process to discuss whether additional bike trails can be added in Forest Park while improving environmental protection and maintaining pedestrian enjoyment and safety. I will be listening to testimony and weighing in once a proposal from the committee and Portland Parks & Recreation reaches Council."
We are being heard!
Thanks to all that sent along notes to our city officials. Many of you wrote reasoned and impassioned letters making our case for expanding singletrack riding opportunities in Forest Park.
The response from our commissioners and the Parks bureau has been positive overall. They have heard us and suggest that it's not necessary to send additional letters at this time.
Keep your pens ready, and we'll let you know when we need to mobilize again.
Ride On!
Tom Archer
Right on