Protect Mountain Biking Access at Loch Raven Watershed
Mountain bikers have ridden the trails at Loch Raven Watershed for years, yet an abrupt change in management policies has recently been imposed on our user group, with no opportunity for dialogue or collaborative problem solving.
Many similar areas welcome trail users as vested partners in management who will quickly alert authorities if something is amiss. At Loch Raven, the lack of adequate storm water management threatens the quality of the watershed, yet trail users -- who volunteer to maintain trails and remove trash -- are receiving tickets.
Baltimore's watersheds, especially Loch Raven, are among the largest open spaces accessible to Maryland residents. We recognize the challenges in managing such a large geographic area with diverse user groups. In order to create a partnership between trail users and DPW, I suggest the following actions:
- Immediate suspension of ticketing and fining trail users.
- Creation of a map and signage on the existing network.
- Begin treating all trail users equally and ensuring all maintained trails are open to all users.
- Implementation of a night riding program, similar to agreements the Mid-Atlantic Off-Road Enthusiasts (MORE) has with Maryland DNR and other land mangers.
- Creation of a trail maintenance agreement between the City and trail users groups, similar to agreements MORE has with Maryland DNR and other land mangers.
- Implementation of the "annual review of mountain biking activities." The Loch Ravenmanagement plan called for this, yet it has never been executed.
Take Action Now!