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The federal Wilderness Act of 1964 forbids “mechanical transport” in the nation’s wilderness areas. The nonprofit Sustainable Trails Coalition seeks to allow bicycles in those areas. (Anya Semenoff, Denver Post file)

Re: Bikes belong in wilderness, April 3 Writers on the Range column.

I disagree with the Sustainable Trails Coalition that prohibiting bicycles in wilderness areas is an outmoded restriction that needs to be changed. Quite the contrary. The proliferation of cyclists on trails and in open space areas in Colorado has ruined the walking experience for many. Bikers are supposed to yield to walkers, but in reality this is often not the practice, nor is it practical. Constantly stepping off the trail to allow a bicycle to pass is not my idea of a wilderness experience. I avoid these areas on the weekends because of this.

There are plenty of other options for cyclists that aren t conducive to hiking. Leave the wilderness to the walkers.

Lu Stewart, Evergreen

This letter was published in the April 10 edition.

Being a bit of an outdoorsman myself, I agree with Ted Stroll that the Wilderness Act is being stretched too far. The Wilderness Act was created to stop mechanical transport through certain wilderness areas in order to preserve them, but with the recent growth in protected wilderness areas since the bills creation in 1964, the preservation of this new land is not as necessary as it once was. According to wilderness.net, originally the act protected 9.1 million acres but now covers close to 109 million acres. As the area of protected wilderness increases, the needed regulations of the worst piece of land becomes the normal regulation for all pieces.

The Wilderness Act is necessary for many things, but its restrictions on all mechanized transport through these areas is not one of them. These pieces of wilderness should be treated differently based on their specific needs, and the current wilderness regulations should be reconsidered.

Xander Spitzer, Centennial

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