Land managers cover a lot of ground — often on foot, carrying heavy gear, and with limited time. Increasingly, these land managers are finding electric mountain bikes (eMTBs) aren’t just a recreational trend to manage, they’re also a tool they can put to work themselves. Now, the bike industry is stepping in to make that adoption easier, one eMTB at a time.

Two partnerships show what this looks like in practice: a brand-led pilot in California, and a multi-year program between PeopleForBikes and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS).

Marin Bikes Takes Rangers for a Ride

It started with a simple idea. Matt VanEnkevort, CEO of Marin Bikes, reached out to Staff Park and Recreation Specialist Peter Ostroskie at California State Parks' Bay Area District and offered to take land managers out on Class 1 electric mountain bike (eMTB) rides across Marin and Sonoma counties. That initial connection to Ostroskie came through industry advocacy relationships, with Marin Bikes' Marketing Manager Johnny Walker making the introduction and handling much of the ongoing communication that followed.

The rangers were sold almost immediately. What began as a demo turned into a realization: eMTBs aren't just recreational tools for visitors — they're work tools for staff. Being able to cover more distance in less time, with less fatigue, means more time spent on the job that actually matters: trail maintenance, patrols, and public safety.

The partnership has grown from there:

• Marin Bikes applied to become an official California State Parks vendor, so staff can purchase eMTBs directly after piloting them.
• Marin worked with RideWrap to design a custom color wrap for state park eMTBs, making rangers easily recognizable to visitors while they work.
• The team is even exploring interpretive guide rides on eMTBs in California, opening the door for rangers to share more of the mountain with more visitors, more often.
• This growing partnership reflects a broader shift already underway at California State Parks, one where eMTBs are being evaluated not just as something to manage, but as a tool that can support the agency's own mission.

"California State Parks knows that e-bikes are an incredible recreation tool for many people and have grown in popularity quickly,” explains Ostroskie. “Which is why we have a posted order from our superintendent allowing e-bikes on Mount Tamalpais and other parks as a study to see the impacts of this recreation. We would like to remind all the public to be courteous of each other and to yield to hikers on the trail."

That same recognition, that eMTBs are a genuine recreation tool worth studying and supporting, is what's opening the door for land managers to use them as work tools, too. One conversation between an industry leader and a land manager, made possible by the kind of advocacy connections that bring the bike industry and public land agencies together, turned into a program that could change how rangers do their jobs.

A Growing Program Between PeopleForBikes and the U.S. Forest Service

PeopleForBikes has been building a similar bridge with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) through the PeopleForBikes eMTB Loan Program, treating the eMTB not as a product to promote, but as a piece of field equipment that solves a real operational problem.

Since 2024, PeopleForBikes has worked with the USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station (RMRS) Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program to loan Class 1 eMTBs to field crews across the Intermountain West on designated motorized trails. The goal: help staff reach remote research plots faster and with less physical strain.

Plot access often means hours of arduous hiking, camping, or backpacking. Electric mountain bikes can reduce that travel time, helping to combat crew fatigue, reduce potential injury risk, and free up more hours for the actual research.

The program has continued through the years:

• A USFS microgrant funded the purchase of four eMTBs in August 2024.
• Seven additional electric bicycles were purchased on contract that October.
• During the 2025 field season, up to 12 riders had access to fleet e-bikes for most of the season.
• Specialized previously sponsored eMTB loans for USFS staff in earlier program years.

PeopleForBikes has now signed another year-long agreement with RMRS for 2026. This year, Canyon Bikes is providing eMTB loans at USFS field offices in Ogden, Utah; Silver City and Gallup, New Mexico; and Flagstaff and Sierra Vista, Arizona.

In exchange, USFS staff share data on how they use the bikes, what's working, and what would make the program even more useful going forward — insight that helps PeopleForBikes members refine eMTBs as practical tools for fieldwork, not just recreational products.

Why This Work Matters

Land managers are some of bicycling's most important allies, and our industry benefits when their jobs get easier. Programs like these show that eMTBs aren't just changing how people ride, they're becoming genuine tools in the land manager's kit — alongside the truck, the radio, and the boots on the ground — helping agencies patrol more ground, respond faster, and manage public lands more effectively.

Want to learn more about how PeopleForBikes supports electric bicycle access and land manager partnerships?

• Explore our electric bicycle resources.
• Join the PeopleForBikes Coalition and learn how your brand can get more involved in our work.
• Reach out to Director of Recreation Policy Rachel Fussell (rachel@peopleforbikes.org) to learn about opportunities to partner with land managers in your region.