Your feedback needed! Public comment period for hiking and (new!) mountain biking trails in Ozark Natl Scenic Riverways opens

After much feedback from trail supporters from across Missouri and the Midwest, in 2016 the Ozark National Scenic Riverway in east-central Missouri started work on a new trails and roads plan that may to allow mountain biking within park boundaries.

The Ozark National Scenic Riverways includes parts of the Current and Jack's Fork Rivers, in south-central Missouri near Eminence. The area has the potential to host an excellent mountain biking trail system.

Now they are asking for your opinion and public comment on three possible alternatives--through December 15th, 2017 January 15th, 2018.

Why this is a big deal--and what the alternatives are

This is a big deal, as ONSR--which was the first national park area created to specifically protect a river system--is Missouri's only "real" national park.

Created in the 1970s, ONSR has never allowed mountain biking.  Now, because of numerous public comments in support during project scoping in 2015, ONSR has moved to created three Alternatives for trail and road use in the park.

Furthermore, connections through ONSR will potentially allow for creation of a 280+ mile contiguous mountain biking corridor in south-central Missouri--linking up existing mountain-bikeable sections of the Ozark Trail with existing gravel county roads to create a massive, challenging, and beautiful mountain biking trail network.. 

If ONSR officials allow the final link in this massive mountain biking network to be made using ONSR trails, this will instantly create one of the premier mountain biking networks in the U.S.

Now ONSR officials are asking for your public comment on the three alternatives.

• Alternative A - No change, no mountain biking
• Alternative B - A few more hiking and equestrian trails, and a few new mountain biking trails
• Alternative C - Even more hiking and equestrian trails, and more mountain biking trails.

Find out more or leave your comments for the National Park Service here through January 15th, 2018.

The Missouri Bicycle & Pedestrian Federation is drafting comments to submit.  In the meanwhile, any public comments--particularly those showing support for mountain biking opportunities in ONSR--are very helpful.

Suggested comments: We need mountain biking access in proportion to mountain bike use and demand in Missouri; We need to create mountain biking connections to the Ozark Trail

You might make these points:

• You support expanding hiking and, particularly, mountain biking opportunities within ONSR.
   
• You support connecting trails and roads where mountain biking is allowed in the park to nearby roads and trails, particularly the Ozark Trail. ONSR should not be looking just at mountain biking trails within the park, but at the entire regional mountain biking system, including mountain bikeable segements of the Ozark Trail and gravel and low-traffic roads in the area.  Specifically:
  • It is absolutely vital that ONSR allow the key mountain bike trail connection to be made that will connect northern and southern sections of the Ozark Trail, allowing creation of a nationally significant 280+ mile mountain biking network in the area.
     
  • Additionally, ONSR should allow a mountain bike trail connection between the Big Spring area and the "Between the Rivers" section of the Ozark Trail--creating an instant 70+ mile mountain biking network.
    
     
• Of the three alternatives, Alternative C looks generally best, but (as noted in the two points above) mountain biking access and connectivity should be increased significantly even beyond that suggested in Alternative C.
   
• Access and mileage by different trail user groups--hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians--should be in approximate proportion to number of potential users.  By this measure, mountain bike access to the park is vastly underrepresented. In all three Alternatives, mountain bike trail mileage is vastly lower then mileage for hiking trails and equestrian trails. Mountain biking is an extremely fast growing sport across the U.S. and in Missouri. Surveys show that there more mountain bike users in Missouri and in the U.S. than equestrians.  For example, mountain bike trail access should be more on par with, or even exceed, equestrian trail mileage.
   
• Every existing and proposed hiking and equestrian trail should be evaluated for mountain biking use as well.  Only when there are specific reasons to disallow mountain biking use (i.e., soil conditions that do not allow for mountain bike travel, or sections with usage high enough to create significant user conflicts) should mountain biking be disallowed from a particular trail.
   
• Biking should be considered from a recreational trails perspective, but also a transportation perspective for creating access to the park.  All sections of ONSR should be accessible by bicycle--at least on par with motor vehicle access.  This access can be a combination of single-track trail, internal ONSR roads, and county and other low-traffic roads in the region.
   
• Of course, all trails and roads should be built with an eye to sustainability, respect for the environment, and to enhance and never detract from the natural beauty of the area.
   
• The mountain biking community is supportive of our natural parks and respectful of scenic and natural areas.
   
• Mountain biking opportunities will help ONSR be attractive to new demographics and will complement other activities on the river and trails. Significant mountain biking opportunities will help bring visitors to ONSR and to the region during seasons when river rafting and float trips diminish, making ONSR more of a year-around destination.

Leave your comments for the National Park Service here through January 15, 2018.

Previously on MoBikeFed.org:

• 2014: Ozark National Scenic Riverways moves to allow mountain biking on some trails; public comments in support needed

• 2015: ADVOCACY ALERT: Public comment in support of mountain biking in Ozark National Scenic Riverways needed

• 2015: Your input needed: Ozark National Scenic Riverways Roads and Trails Plan - support for mountain biking trails needed | Ozark National Scenic Riverways

• 2015: Major victory for mountain biking in Missouri: Mountain Biking to be allowed in Ozark National Scenic Riverways

Creating a world-class bicycle, pedestrian, and trails system in Missouri is one of the four major goals in MoBikeFed's Vision for Bicycling and Walking in Missouri. As part of that Vision, we work to support all types of bicycling, walking, running, hiking, and trail use. Working on improved trails access in places that have never allowed bicycle access before, like ONSR, and working for the creating of major trail systems like the proposed Ozark Trail Mountain Bike System is one way we work to achieve that goal.

Your ongoing membership and generous financial support help turn our goal into reality!