It’s a controversial—and confusing—topic: Should e-bikes be allowed on the same remote trails now populated by the people-powered varieties of bikes? And if they’re not allowed everywhere, where should e-bikes be allowed to roam?
Advocates of expanding access say allowing e-bikes on public lands gets more people out on the lands and improves health and fitness. Others believe allowing motorized bikes in remote areas only sets the land up for misuse, overuse, or more wildlife habitat destruction. Plenty of opinions fall somewhere in between.
Officials from the Bureau of Land Management recently opened up a comment period centered around the regulation of e-bikes on BLM lands—which, in Central and Eastern Oregon, include vast swaths of desert lands. Rules around e-bikes vary, depending on the agency managing the land. E-bikes are prohibited on national forest trails, but are allowed on national forest roads. They’re allowed on BLM lands, but officials there want to get more clarity around how and when they can be used, and U.S. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt has advocated in favor of expanding access to e-bikes.
Find a link to the comment portal and more information at:
blm.gov/press-release/blm-seeks-public-comment-proposed-e-bike-regulations.
The comment period ends June 9.
This article appears in May 20-27, 2020.
MAKE LOCAL JOURNALISM HAPPEN
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
