Ulterior Motive to Discuss BLM Trails Plan



RIDGWAY – Before the mountain biking season begins, the RAT is restless.

The Ridgway Area Trails Group is hosting a public information session/movie/party this Saturday, Jan. 19, at the Sherbino Theater. The public information part is to discuss the proposed 16-22 miles of new single track on Bureau of Land Management property north of Ridgway.

The trail system is in its final stages of approval, with the BLM having issued a Draft

Environmental Assessment last month. Public comment on the EA is due Feb. 1, and all interested parties are asked to submit comments to blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/ufo/travel_management.html. The Sherbino event will provide a venue for riders to submit comments to the BLM, as well as answer any questions about RAT’s role in the process and its preferred alternative.

As a reward, afterward RAT will present the movie, Klunkerz, a 2006 documentary by Billy Savage on the history of mountain biking, subtitled: “They Reinvented the Wheel.” The film stars mountain bike pioneers Gary Fisher, Joe Breeze, Mike Sinyard, Tom Ritchey and Charlie Kelly.

The RAT event begins at 7 p.m. For more information, visit sherbinotheater.com or call 970/201-8570.

Admission is $5, and there will be great giveaways (swag, t-shirts, stickers, etc.) at the end of the movie. All proceeds benefit the Colorado Plateau Mountain Biking Association, of which RAT is a member.

This event is sponsored by New Belgium Brewing and the Sherbino Theater.

About the RAT: Ridgway Area Trails (RAT) was conceived in 2004, when local residents approached the Ridgway State Park and the BLM with a proposal to develop a multi-use trail system on adjoining parcels of land these agencies manage. The parcels, on the outskirts of the Town of Ridgway, were identified as having ideal terrain, trail connectivity and access, and the process of obtaining permission for this project began. For more information, contact Brian Scranton, 970/201-8570 or visit ridgwaytrails.com.

About COPMOBA:

COPMOBA, a 501(c)3 non-profit, is a group of mountain bikers dedicated to the development and maintenance of regional mountain bike trails on the Colorado Plateau. Their main trails include Kokopelli's, Tabequache, and Paradox. The group also works on all mountain bike trails in the area and is always working to get new trails built. For more information, visit copmoba.org.