Central Oregon Trail Alliance
  • Home
  • Trails
    • Trail Etiquette
    • Winter Fat Bike Trails Grooming + Map
    • Winter Fat Bike Trail Etiquette, PSI Charts, etc
    • Online Trail Maps & Condition Reports
    • Printed Trail Maps
    • Current Trail Projects >
      • Madras East Hills
      • Lower and Upper 66
    • Past Trail Projects >
      • Bike Park 242
      • Prineville Bike Park
      • Radlands
    • Crew Leaders Info >
      • Accident Waiver / Liability Release Form
      • Trail Work Party COVID Procedures and Protocols
      • Training Outline for Crew Leaders
      • Trail Building Safety Briefing
      • Four Phase Plan to Get Back to Work During COVID
    • Teams Info >
      • Sawyer Team
      • Winter Fatbike Team
      • Crook County Team
      • Madras Team
  • Events
  • News
  • About
    • Executive Director Search
    • COTA's Mission
    • COTA Strategic Plan 2018-2022
    • Board of Directors >
      • Board Members
      • Board Nomination Application
      • Board of Directors Job Description
      • Meeting Agendas
      • Meeting Minutes
      • COTA Bylaws
      • Policies
    • 2019 Annual Report
    • Bike Shop Partner Program
    • Chapters >
      • Bend
      • Crook County
      • Madras >
        • Madras Volunteer Forms
        • Madras Trails Clothing
      • Redmond
      • Sisters
      • South Deschutes County
    • History
    • Worklog Reports
    • Contact Us
  • Our Sponsors
  • Support Us
    • Donate
    • Become a Member
    • Renew your Membership
    • Sponsor
    • Volunteer
    • Team Building Experience for Businesses
    • Log Your Hours >
      • How to Log Hours
    • Bend Trail Maint. Log
    • Accident Waiver / Liability Release Form
    • Donation Acceptance Policy
    • COTA Merchandise

Public Land Agency Rule Change Regarding E-Bike Access

8/31/2019

4 Comments

 
11/14/2019 COTA Update regarding e-bikes on BLM lands:

At this time e-bikes are still not allowed on BLM singletrack trails designated for non-motorized use, which includes Maston, Cline Buttes/Cascade View trails, Horse Ridge, etc. The local BLM offices are required to perform a public comment phase, as well as work out procedural and implementation issues. We don't know how long the process will take, but we are trying to keep up with their progress and will share updated information as soon as we receive it.

As a reminder, there are no rule changes regarding US Forest Service lands (managed by the US Dept of Agriculture). E-bikes continue to be considered motorized vehicles and therefore not permitted in national forests.

Posted 8/31/2019:

On 29 August, the Dept of the Interior issued a rule change regarding e-bike access on lands managed by the agency (official DOI letter in PDF form below). 

Agencies involved include National Parks (such as Crater Lake, John Day Fossil Beds) and BLM/Bureau of Land Management.  

The order does not include the US Forest Service, as they are part of the USDA/Dept of Agriculture. There has been no rule change with the USFS at this time.

The agencies involved have 14 days to make the changes needed to comply with the order. 

We want to remind everyone that COTA operates under volunteer agreements with the land management agencies and can neither make, or enforce any rules or regulations concerning e-bikes or any other access to non-motorized trails we maintain under these agreements. 

What we can do is advise the community on how the rules are applied to the trails we have maintenance responsibility for. We have not heard from the BLM yet on their plans to implement the new rule.  We will monitor this as closely as possible for further developments.

In the meantime, the rules for trails in national forests, like Deschutes National Forest, still apply. E-bikes are still not allowed on non-motorized trails on national forest land. Per the USFS website: E-bikes are not allowed on trails designated for non-motorized use.  Non-motorized trails include trails like hiker, horse, or mountain bike trails. E-bikes, like other motorized transportation, also are not allowed to travel cross-country off trail. There are no exceptions. 

More information on E-bikes and the USFS’s Travel Management rules (along with roads and trails that allow E-bikes) can be found here.

We will update the public as we learn more.
4 Comments
Dan Serpico
9/1/2019 04:20:57 pm

Just ran into an ebiker today at the Edison Snow Park. I asked where they thought they were riding and the reply I got was the rule changed. I am sure they didn't turn around and drove back to town. Does COTA have a procedure in what to do when you run into them?
Thanks, Dan

Reply
Joe Myers
9/3/2019 07:45:40 am

Edison is a tough one as a lot of Edison Lava trail is open to motorized use and there is a moto trail network right there at Edison. The people who clear the trail use motorcycles and e bikes usually for what it’s worth.

Reply
Lucy
9/4/2019 08:38:03 am

Dan - I have a procedure for you to follow - mind your own business when noticing a "pedal assist" bike. Were you offended to the point you felt the need to stop and ask them where they thought they were riding? Do you ask the same questions to those on shuttles who are not earning their ride and are bombing down the trails haphazardly?

Reply
Scott
9/8/2019 08:44:37 pm

I’ll be seeing you all on my e-mtb real soon!!

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    RSS Feed


Sponsored By:

Join our Newsletter
Picture
Website built by:

Proudly powered by Weebly

BACK TO TOP