We make sure that bikes are considered in new projects, encourage communities across city lines to pursue funding together, support ballot initiatives dedicated to outdoor recreation, andlobby for federal funding for path and trail development.

We support local groups focused on increasing outdoor participation, help cities rethink how to provide more opportunities for close-to-home bike riding, foster the development of pocket bike parks and force the prioritization of bike trails and parks in underserved communities.

We work with state departments of transportation to add or improve shoulders on major county and state arterial roads, work to require that funding for highway projects is contingent on adding/improving shoulders, and ask state departments of transportation to prioritize road improvements that improve bicyclists safety and benefit bike riders.

We help prioritize projects that serve historically underserved and disinvested communities, advance bills that provide financial incentives to recreate by bike, connect bike riding with health and wellness outcomes, force equity considerations in planning and value electric bicycle access on the same level as traditional bikes.

Bike riding opportunities in rural, non-urban areas are revenue raisers for local communities through tourism. We support funding and policy measures that help build out trail systems, connected bike networks and the infrastructure needed to cater to visitors and residents alike.

Every year, PeopleForBikes closely monitors hundreds of state legislative and regulatory issues in order to keep track of the national bicycling landscape. Tracking also allows our team to stay nimble and rally support around issues related to import topics, including infrastructure, recreation, and electric bicycles. After combing through the data, we’ve identified six of the biggest wins in state policy for 2022. 

1. New Laws Move the Needle for Infrastructure Funding and Planning

Bills in California, Colorado, and Washington were approved to either fund or improve planning that will benefit bicycle infrastructure and riders throughout each state. 

In California, Governor Gavin Newsom allocated $1.1 billion in new funding for local bike and pedestrian projects, approved a bill to streamline environmentally beneficial transportation projects (such as bike- and bus-only lanes), and approved an effort to develop new building standards for short-term and long-term bicycle parking in multifamily residential buildings, hotels, and motels. CalBike was instrumental in helping pass these critical initiatives.

In Colorado, Governor Polis signed the Powerline Trails bill into law. This new law will help communities across the state learn more about their options for partnering with utility providers to create new walking, hiking, and biking trails underneath power lines. Thanks to Bicycle Colorado for their leadership on this important issue and setting an example for other states to follow.

In Washington, the legislature approved the largest funding package for bicycling in state history, totalling $1.3 billion in spending for bike, walk, and roll initiatives. Details of the funding package, which was passed in large part due to the work of Washington Bikes, can be found here.

2. 18 States Now Have Offices of Outdoor Recreation

This year, Massachusetts became the 18th state to create an Office of Outdoor Recreation. The new office will be housed in the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and will help enhance outdoor recreational opportunities and the associated economic, environmental, and quality-of-life benefits. State Offices of Outdoor Recreation (ORECs) serve as central champions for the outdoor recreation economy and its associated benefits within a state. Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) and local advocates were integral to getting this office off the ground. 

3. 12 State Land Management Agencies Allow Class 1 Electric Bicycles

PeopleForBikes supports the use of Class 1 electric mountain bikes on non-motorized natural surface trails in places where traditional mountain bikes are allowed (including single-track trails). As of this year, there are 12 state land management agencies with electric bicycle policies that allow for at least the use of Class 1 electric bicycles wherever a traditional bicycle is allowed on non-motorized, natural surface trails within a jurisdiction. 

PeopleForBikes has engaged with land managers across the country to expand access for Class 1 electric mountain bikes, including in Colorado, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, and Washington. To learn more about each of these agencies, click here.

4. Three News States Have Three-Class Electric Bicycle Definition Laws

Three new states — Kansas, Massachusetts, and Delaware — signed PeopleForBikes’ three-class model legislation into law this year, adding to a total of 39 states across the country. Each state has subtle differences in its laws, but fundamentally, these bills define electric bicycles using the three-class system; Regulate electric bicycles like bicycles (meaning the same rules of the road apply to both electric bicycles and human-powered bicycles,  and exempt electric bicycles from the registration, licensing, or insurance requirements that apply to motor vehicles.

5. Six States Offer Electric Bicycle Incentive Programs

This year, six states either passed or renewed funding for electric bicycle purchase incentive programs. These states include Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Click here to learn more about each of these programs. 

This amount of statewide electric bicycle incentive programs has never been seen before and the rate of adoption is not expected to decline in 2023. To learn more about what makes for a successful incentive program, check out our handy one-pager here.

6. New Law Clears the Way for Second-Hand Bike Sales

In Colorado, the Pawnbroker Bill creates clarity between Pawnbrokers and Secondhand dealers in Colorado law. This bill will have a huge and positive impact on local bike resellers by allowing them to operate as a bicycle retailer and not a pawnbroker. Thanks to Bicycle Colorado for their leadership to support second-hand bike dealers in Colorado.

PeopleForBikes works diligently to track bills at all levels of government that improve bike riding and support bike businesses nationwide. Sign up for our newsletter to receive the latest policy information and to take action when a pro-bike policy is proposed in your area. 

This year’s legislative and regulatory wins would have not been possible without the hard work of local advocates on the ground. We encourage you to support bike riding in your community by getting involved with your local bike advocacy group.

Even at a bike organization, not everyone bikes all the time, especially in the winter. When I started as PeopleForBikes’ director of enterprise partnerships in 2021, I knew part of my role would be helping companies across the country find ways to engage and support more employees in bicycling. Thankfully, PeopleForBikes’ own staff felt like the perfect testing ground for this work. 

In December of 2021, we circulated a survey to better understand existing bike riding habits. Based on those survey results, a new employee benefit was developed, focused on encouraging more time spent on the bicycle. Dubbed “Bike Perks,” the ride encouragement program launched in January 2022.

The idea behind Bike Perks isn’t a new concept. Organizations have incentivized bike riding habits for decades. Historically, these programs focused on reducing car-based commutes for businesses with limited parking capacity. With some of PeopleForBikes staff working in different states, however, parking wasn’t a motivator and we developed our program with new goals in mind. 

Goal 1: Live out our mission to get more people biking more often. 

Goal 2: Encourage investment in the industry we serve.

Using the PeopleForBikes ride-recording and sharing platform, Ride Spot, internal ride challenges were created each month encouraging staff to bike 25 times. Those rides could be of any variety (i.e., exercise, transportation, leisure) and of any distance. Reducing the parameters on what type of rides count toward the monthly challenges not only made the program more inclusive but it also helped increase participation. For those unable to bike, for whatever reason, we offered alternative participation activities like yoga, physical therapy, or walking.

As an additional incentive, PeopleForBikes staff earned $4 for every ride logged using Ride Spot (up to $100/month). Staff could also double that incentive by submitting bike industry purchase receipts up to the amount they earned from riding — meaning an employee taking full advantage of the program could earn $2,400/year. Soon, staff were reaching for their bikes first when going to work out or running to the grocery store.

With a full year of Bike Perks behind us, we’re happy to report how the program has fared thus far. PeopleForBikes’ 2022 Bike Perks by the numbers:


7 staff members completed 100% of the 2022 challenges (a minimum of 300 trips)

83% of EOY survey respondents said the program changed their bike riding habits

At a glance, it would be easy to say the cash benefit is what motivated staff to participate in the program, and for a lot of people, it definitely played a role. However, we found there were many low and no-cost measures that also contributed to the success of the Bike Perks program. Here are a few key takeaways: 

Senior leadership should show support, promote, and participate in the program. Devoting a Slack channel to sharing ride stories can also help engage employees. 

Having a dedicated point person to answer questions and/or offer low-cost prizes can help keep staff informed and involved. 

Keep the challenges fun and topical. It’s important to change challenge parameters to fit the season.

If a formal ride encouragement program is something that would benefit your organization, you’re in luck! PeopleForBikes is ready to provide the software and programming to launch Bike Perks at your organization at no charge. Schedule a demo today to see how the program can improve the bike culture within your team. 

How PeopleForBikes Encourages Staff to Ride More

The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) recently announced their final internal policy on the use of electric bicycles (e-bikes) on DCNR lands, effective immediately in state parks and forests. During the policy session, PeopleForBikes was eager to offer resources and information with our partners at the PA DCNR to help inform policy decisions around e-bike access in the state.

After receiving more than 640 public comments, the DCNR will allow e-bikes on trails already open to traditional bicycle usage on DCNR-managed lands, as long as e-bike users follow the guidelines consistent with the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code. Under the final policy, an electric bicycle is a bicycle equipped with an electric motor that assists the rider when they are pedaling and must:

Have a motor that does not exceed 750 watts

E-bike users must also propel their e-bikes by pedaling on non-motorized trails — the use of throttle-only functionality is not permitted on non-motorized trails managed by the PA DCNR.

E-bikes make Pennsylvania state parks and forests more accessible to more people, including older individuals and those with physical limitations or medical conditions. The DCNR’s final policy expands such opportunities for healthy outdoor recreation while at the same time managing impacts on other visitors and on natural places.

Because other public lands in Pennsylvania (such as federal lands, local parks, and preserves) have different requirements related to e-bikes, users should check the guidelines for their destination before they go. The new policy only allows e-bikes to be used on DCNR-managed trails where traditional bikes are allowed. E-bikes will be allowed on DCNR-managed motorized trails and public-use roads unless they are marked as prohibited to bikes. Riders under the age of 16 are not permitted to ride e-bikes on state or local highways.

Bike trails found in Pennsylvania state parks feature a variety of sizes, terrain and scenic views. Currently, there are approximately 3,800 miles of state forest trails open to mountain biking, and of those, 447 miles within 11 state forests are specifically designated and maintained for mountain biking.

Want to learn more? The Pennsylvania DCNR created a printable fact sheet on biking in state parks and forests and plans to share this resource with bike shops, riding organizations, and state park and forest visitors.

Pennsylvania DCNR Finalizes E-Bike Policy for State Parks and Forests

Mountain biking trails exist all across the U.S., and the number of bicycle-optimized trails continues to increase as more new trails open and old ones are refurbished or updated. To celebrate another great year of mountain biking, PeopleForBikes (with the help of our supporters on social media) compiled some great new mountain bike trails that opened in 2022.

After purchasing the 450-acre Chestnut Mountain property in 2020, the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy transferred the property to the Town of Canton in an ambitious endeavor to pair permanent protection of habitat and water resources with the creation of a conservation-friendly, community-centric outdoor recreation space. Chestnut Mountain will be an important stop along North Carolina’s Hellbender Trail, a 150-mile regional greenway system that is being championed by The Land of Sky Regional Council and local governments.

As of 2022, there are 11 trails for all ability levels on Chestnut Mountain, totaling four miles of singletrack with almost 700 feet of descent. 

Chestnut Mountain is also home to Berm Park, a public mountain bike skills park with trails for all skill levels.

Yakety Yak and Swamp Angel trails
Leadville, Colorado

After several years of planning and negotiations, the Leadville area’s first public trails on private land are officially ready to ride. After working with the Newmont Mining Corporation and Lake County, the Cloud City Wheelers, a local trail building and advocacy group, constructed two directional trails just outside of Leadville, Colorado. A directional uphill (Yakety Yak) and directional downhill trail (Swamp Angel) will bring users from the Landfill Road up to the Swamp Angel site on the Mineral Belt Trail. These trails provide new public access to land otherwise off limits to the public, and they are also the closest singletrack trails to the town of Leadville.

Swamp Angel: Lake County's first directional downhill trail. Lots of rollers, doubles, berms, and options make up this blue-rated trail with some black options. The trail is 1.8 miles long with 381 feet of descent.

Yakety Yak: An uphill trail that travels up to the Swamp Angel area on the Mineral Belt Trail, allowing for some great loop options as you can head east to the Mining District or west to the Timberline Trails. The trail is 1.7 miles long with 381 feet of elevation gain.

Serenity & Adrenaline trail
Stowe, Vermont

Stowe’s first downhill-only, double-black expert trail, Serenity & Adrenaline, opened in July of 2022. Part 1 of the trail was built between 2021 and 2022 by Stowe Trails Partnership volunteers, including an all-women trail crew. Serenity & Adrenaline is located in the Adams Camp trail network and is made possible through partner and landowner Trapp Family Lodge. This expert-level trail has Vermont’s longest wooden bridge feature, big rock slabs, skinnies, gap jumps, and challenges to keep even the most advanced riders entertained. The trail builders drew inspiration from trails in Vancouver’s “North Shore,” Squamish, BC, and Quebec. 

Serenity & Adrenaline: Stowe’s first fully sanctioned and mapped double-black trail located in the Adams Camp trail network on Trapp Family Lodge land. The current trail is 0.4 miles long with 131 feet of descent.

East Bluff Bike Park
Copper Harbor, Michigan

East Bluff Bike Park occupies East Bluff, a prominent topographic feature with more than 525 feet of vertical rise just east of Copper Harbor, Michigan. Rock Solid Trail Contracting currently owns 525 acres of East Bluff and constructed 8 miles of bicycle-optimized trails for all levels of riders on the property. Seven trails are open as of 2022 and the bike park also connects to the existing Keweenaw Point Trail Trailhead via a segment of newly completed singletrack. Looking ahead, Rock Solid intends to continue building a system of gravity and cross-country trails which will contain more than 30 miles of singletrack once completed. East Bluff Bike Park will also act as a link between the existing Copper Harbor Trails Club System and the Keweenaw Point Trail System.

Flo'Rion is an intermediate gravity trail. The trail is 1 mile long with 525 feet of descent.

Citrus Tech is a new advanced downhill trail. The trail is 1 mile long with 497 feet of descent.

Exciting New Mountain Biking Trails Opened in 2022

In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the National Park Service (NPS) recently prepared an environmental assessment (EA) to examine alternatives and environmental impacts associated with a proposed new mountain bike trail system within the Wears Valley portion of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP). The NPS issued a decision and a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Wears Valley Mountain Bike Trail System EA.

The purpose of the trail system project is to enhance visitor experience by providing mountain bike trails as a unique recreational opportunity in GSMNP. While more than 800 miles of trails exist in the Park, less than 8 miles are designated for biking. Public roads within the Park are open to biking, but no purpose-built mountain biking trails currently exist.

The EA analyzed a no-action alternative and three action alternatives for the construction of a mountain bike trail system. Based on the analysis presented in the Revised EA, which was available for public review from February 8 to March 10, 2022, and after considering public comments, the NPS selected alternative 3 (Proposed Action and NPS preferred alternative) for the development of a mountain bike trail system if construction and annual operational funds become available.

Alternative 3 will create a mountain bike trail system with approximately 4.2 miles of easy trail (green, less than 5% slope), 2.9 miles of moderate trail (blue, 5-10% slope), and 4.7 miles of advanced trail (black, 10-15% slope) for a total of 11.8 miles of bicycle-optimized mountain bike trails in Wears Valley. The selected alternative would also include approximately 2.3 miles of pedestrian-only trails in the project area for a total of 14.1 miles of trails. An approximately 0.93-mile access road would also need to be constructed to access the mountain bike trail system and trailhead. Amenities at the trailhead would include a bike wash and repair station, restrooms, and picnic tables. An informational kiosk for orientation, trail etiquette, and rules for mountain biking would also be constructed at the trailhead. 

The FONSI and NPS responses to comments on the EA and associated documents are available for viewing online at the Wears Valley Mountain Bike Trail System website and on the PeopleForBikes website, including an FAQ Resource.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Announces Finding of No Significant Impact for New Trail System

Offices of outdoor recreation have become increasingly important in the last few years for promoting and supporting outdoor activities, as well as preserving natural areas and boosting local economies. These offices play a crucial role in encouraging outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, fishing, boating, and camping, and provide information and resources to help people get outside and enjoy the outdoors. Additionally, they work in collaboration with conservation organizations, land management agencies, and advocacy organizations to preserve and protect natural areas.

The newly minted Utah Division (formerly Office) of Outdoor Recreation (UDOR) highlights the importance of offices of outdoor recreation and how they can be advantageous in any state for growing bike infrastructure and advocacy. 

Cyclists on the 47-mile Pahvant Trail system. “[It has] aided the small town of Richfield with economic development and brought statewide high school mountain bike race events to the area. Our grant program has helped fund three phases of that trail system,” said Tara McKee.

The Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation began in 2013 in the governor’s Office of Economic Development as the Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation. It was the first office of outdoor recreation in the country. In 2022, the office moved permanently to the Utah Division of Natural Resources, becoming the Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation (UDOR). The office has rapidly expanded since, growing from four to about 40 employees in the just past year. Most state offices employ five people or less, although Colorado and Oregon have both discussed expanding their own state offices of outdoor recreation.

Since UDOR's founding in 2013, 15 other states have developed offices of outdoor recreation. In 2022 alone, Arkansas, Maryland, and New Hampshire created offices. The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, a coalition of outdoor recreation trade associations including PeopleForBikes, has advocated to create offices in Alaska, California, Texas, Tennessee, and more. 

Adaptive cyclist Wally Lee enjoying trails made possible by UDOR grants in the Salt Lake City area. (Photo Credit: Amy Mortenson)

So what does an office/division of outdoor rec actually do? UDOR is committed to “ensuring every Utahn can live a healthy and active lifestyle through outdoor recreation and access to natural space." The division’s areas of focus include recreational access, safety and education, stewardship and sustainable visitation, and economic growth and opportunity through outdoor recreation. 

Broadly speaking, the office helps connect people to the outdoors and connect the outdoor community. It does this largely through grants, presentations, and research on the impact of outdoor recreation on the economy. It also creates infrastructure for more than just bikes, focusing on off-highway vehicles as well as boating education to serve all areas of outdoor recreation in Utah.

The majority of the work for biking infrastructure is through grants. The office doled out more than $27 million in grants in 2022, and are only looking to grow in future years. About half of this funding is from the state-funded Utah Outdoor Recreation Grant. Projects from this grant include the Provo River Parkway, a cycling and walking path along the Provo River, the Richfield City Bike Park, a future 23,000-square-foot bike park with an extensive pump track located in rural Sevier County, and the Soldier Hollow mountain bike riding and instruction trails in Wasatch County, just south of Park City.

These projects are only a few among many, with tiers for grants ranging from $4,000 to $750,000. Even more, the estimated value of each project is often twice or more the value of the grant. This diversity of grants shows there is value in small projects for individual communities, as well as larger regional projects that can attract and grow an area in the long term. Many of the projects the office is most excited about are trails or road infrastructure linking towns to each other. Existing long-distance cycling routes, such as the Utah leg of the Tour Divide, the former Tour of Utah, and the Utah Mixed Epic, serve as inspiration for new connection projects. Regional routes tend to revolve around one of the five National Parks located in the state, and the Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation is currently helping to create 70 miles of mountain biking trails in the eastern portion of Zion National Park.

Local youth participating at the UDOR-funded Bridger Bike Park in Logan, Utah.

When it comes to getting more kids on bikes, the Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation promotes youth participation in the outdoors through their Utah Children’s Outdoor Recreation and Education Grant, or UCORE. This program is vital to the nation’s youngest state — with a median age of only 31. UCORE has given funding to Bike Utah to teach youth and provide advocacy and access, as well as given funds directly to Utah NICA leagues for scholarship bikes. Many of the recipients are part of Utah’s large refugee community and various students of diverse backgrounds. Mountain biking is an especially gear-dependent sport, and the grants help ensure everybody has a winning chance at success, not just those who can afford it.

If you live in a state with an OREC, how can you best use its grants to promote cycling? The biggest thing to remember when beginning a project is to try to “pull together the biggest tent possible” of supporters, according to UDOR Associate Director of Grants and Planning Tara McKee. Through her work, McKee sees the outdoors as a place to find common ground across political lines, and that many people are often incredibly passionate about outdoor recreation. The key is finding a way to channel that passion into a tangible source. If you don’t know where to start, give your state OREC a call, or find any similar advocacy groups in your area, whether they be biking specific or dedicated to general conservation and trail building. You can’t change the world if you can’t find common ground.

A tangible piece of advice is to “remember who you’re writing to” when applying for grants, according to McKee. If the grant is for the department of transportation, emphasize transportation benefits. If it’s for a department of natural resources, emphasize environmental impacts. She also advised grant writers to tell a story. The reasons and the background behind your project need to be compelling, and if they’re interesting, that will set you apart from competitors.

The opening of the Abajo Foothills Trail in Monticello, Utah.

Offices of outdoor recreation are only growing in number, quickly expanding to states nationwide. They are going to become critical resources in the promotion and advancement of cycling infrastructure and advocacy, and can help fund federal, state, county, and local level projects. If you haven’t reached out to your state office to investigate how you can create a bigger umbrella for bicycle advocacy, they’re a great resource, and infinitely friendly when it comes to getting more people into outdoor recreation.

If you’re interested in getting an office of outdoor recreation in your state, the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable is a great resource and first contact to begin the process.

Lessons From the First State Office of Outdoor Recreation

Playing outside isn’t just for kids. Access to safe and enjoyable outdoor recreation — like biking, camping, boating, skiing, and more — is vital to our collective well-being and national economic growth. Communities in rural areas, especially those transitioning from older industries into new revenue streams, stand to benefit the most from strategic and targeted investments in recreation planning. 

According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), outdoor recreation is one of the fastest-growing sectors of the economy, contributing $454 billion (1.9%) to the United States’ gross domestic product (GDP) in 2021. The BEA estimates that bicycling added $3.28 billion to the GDP in 2021, and even more telling is that from 2020 to 2021, the outdoor recreation economy grew more than three times (nearly 19%) faster than the overall U.S. economy. 

As the popularity of outdoor recreation continues to spread across all demographics, states with Offices of Outdoor Recreation (OREC) are best prepared to meet the growing demand. Nineteen states now house OREC offices, which help guide investments toward infrastructure, programming, and other resources that support outdoor recreation. 

2018: Colorado, Montana, North Carolina, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, Wyoming

2019: Maine, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Virginia, Wisconsin

2022: Arkansas, Maryland, New Hampshire, Massachusetts

This map was last updated before Massachusetts created its state OREC Office in December 2022.

OREC offices elevate recreation experts to state-level cabinet or department leadership positions, ensuring that a strategy for outdoor recreation is a key component of their state’s economic growth and development. Before Utah started the first OREC office in 2013, most states relied on (or continue to rely on) wider-ranging tourism boards and commerce departments to invest in resources that get people outside. These entities often focus on larger-dollar, tourism-focused projects, such as ports for cruise ships, casinos, big resorts, airports, etc. 

OREC offices allow states to focus federal and state investments on trails, campsites, partnerships with public land management agencies, local outdoor industries, community-level recreation planning, and more. While these are often lower-dollar projects, they tend to offer a better return on investment for smaller, more rural communities than investments that only touch tourism-heavy cities or regions. It makes for a more balanced approach to state investment in outdoor recreation and tourism.

The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, of which PeopleForBikes is a member, brings together outdoor industries, from bikes to boats to RVs, to advocate for all user groups holistically. The group outlined the value of state OREC offices in this 2021 report.

OREC offices are also charged with incentivizing outdoor industries to invest in their states. PeopleForBikes hosted the Michigan and Arkansas OREC directors, Brad Garmon and Katherine Andrews, respectively, at our SHIFT‘22 conference in Bentonville, Arkansas, in October 2022. On stage, they pushed bike companies to invest in manufacturing, retail, events, and the workforce in their states. With incentives and support from ORECs, the bike industry and states stand to gain lucrative partnership opportunities to grow the culture of biking and recreation in their backyard.

Looking at PeopleForBikes annual City Ratings program, more than half of the top ten highest-ranking cities for biking are in states without an OREC office. This leaves a massive unmet potential for increasing outdoor recreation. City Ratings identifies communities that embrace the bicycle as a tool for mobility, economic growth, and recreation, and state ORECs can build on these cities’ successes by supporting and stimulating the outdoor recreation economy through bicycling in surrounding towns and communities. 

As a generally newer concept in state government, OREC offices come together under the Confluence of States to learn from and support each other in navigating their respective arenas. To further this effort, the Confluence just released the first-ever Guidebook on Developing Offices of Outdoor Recreation

As the title suggests, the guidebook includes best practices and strategies sourced from existing OREC state directors to develop new offices — it also offers guidance for future OREC staff regarding what works and what doesn’t. The guide builds on the knowledge of those currently working for various states and their success in expanding outdoor recreation.

Some of the best practices for OREC offices include:

Operationalizing the office through:
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Building support through:
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Focusing on strategic initiatives, such as:
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The momentum for recreation is only going to continue to grow, bringing individuals, families, and communities together in and around the outdoors. With this new guidebook from the Confluence of States, along with a focus on bicycling infrastructure for both recreation and active transportation, PeopleForBikes is proud and excited to partner with OREC offices in our mission to make America the best place to ride a bike in the world. However, we also need continued support from communities and individuals to advocate for increased recreation access and opportunities at every level to amplify our message. 

We urge you to keep up to date on the important progress of recreation and OREC offices across the nation by signing up for the Confluence of States monthly newsletter here.

Offices of Outdoor Recreation Deliver Big

PeopleForBikes, a national bicycling advocacy organization, and the U.S. bicycle industry’s trade association announced its latest round of community grants totaling $92,000. The 11 projects funded in 2022 will support bicycle infrastructure and advocacy projects across the U.S. 

PeopleForBikes’ Industry Community Grants Program is funded through the Employee Pro Purchase program, which collects donations from individuals who work in the bike industry and take advantage of pro-pricing discounts on new bikes and bicycling equipment. Cannondale and Trek currently participate. 

Since 1999, the PeopleForBikes Industry Community Grants Program has funded more than 400 projects in all 50 states totaling more than $3.6 million in direct funds. The total funding this year represents more than 1,000 individuals in the bike industry who gave back to grow bicycling through an employee pro purchase. 

“Seeing the industry come together to support community grants big and small continues to be incredibly inspiring,” said Jenn Dice, president and CEO of PeopleForBikes. “We thank the companies and thousands of employees that contribute to this important program. These projects will make a tangible difference in 11 communities while aiding our larger mission of getting more people on bikes more often and making biking better for everyone.” 

The Center of Southwest Culture
Albuquerque, NM 

This grant will support Story Riders, a program at The Center of Southwest Culture, Inc. that empowers Indigenous and Latino youth to reconnect with their natural and cultural heritage, all while providing practical training in bicycle safety, maintenance, and guided cycling experiences. Each student will take home the bike they work on and a new helmet. 

BikeHouston will use the funding to launch Gear Shifters, an advocacy training program for BikeHouston staff and volunteers. Gear Shifters will expand and enhance advocacy efforts by representing the needs of people who ride bikes at public meetings, as well as in conversations with elected officials, community groups, and developers.

Bike Works Seattle’s mission is to promote the bicycle as a vehicle for change and a tool for building resilient communities. This grant will be used for general operating support, more than 80% of which will go directly to youth, adult, community, and environmental cycling programs and services. 

Trails Utah will use this grant to launch a pilot project to modify existing trails with the specific goal of accommodating adaptive mountain bikers. Funds will be used to purchase equipment and signage, as well as pay for physical trail work by the Utah Conservation Corps.

Trailnet works to foster healthy, active, and vibrant communities where walking, bicycling, and the use of public transit is a way of life. Funding will help accelerate the installation of safer mobility networks in St. Louis by focusing on high-crash corridors, which are predominantly in Black and underserved communities. 

The Red Line Parkway Initiative empowers diverse communities to enjoy, develop, and enhance the Red Line Trail and Parkway, a 32-mile, multimodal rails-with-trails project. Grant funds will support a portion of 2023 engagement activities with an emphasis on social equity and physical and mental health. 

Girls in Gear teaches life skills through bike skills to help young female riders build confidence on and off their bikes. Funding will be used for coach training and support, as well as program supplies, to ensure every girl has the chance to safely and confidently bike through life.

Community Action Duluth’s BikePlus program provides those recently released from incarceration with a free bicycle, helmet, and bike lock. This grant will allow Community Action Duluth to continue its efforts and reach more people in need. 

This grant will fund bikepacking trips for those in Deaf community in the Mid-Atlantic region, offering environmental education, leadership training, and essential bicycle maintenance. Funds will also be used to provide a day trip for groups to a gravel or mountain biking trail, allowing for local community connections.

With this grant, Salem Bike Vision (SBV) will host three community rides in 2023, working to educate the public about what makes for effective bike infrastructure and helping identify areas where safety is lacking. The organization will also engage local decision-makers around opportunities to use the city’s recently passed bond for safe bike infrastructure.

Dunn Gardens will use funding to purchase and install two bike racks, which will allow for more car-free commuting and send a welcoming message to the many visitors in the neighborhood who rely on bicycles for transportation. 

PeopleForBikes Announces 2022 Industry Community Grant Recipients

New study looks to understand the impacts of allowing Class 1 pedal-assist eMTBs on trails in the Green Mountain State.

PeopleForBikes, in partnership with the Vermont Mountain Bike Association and Fellowship of the Wheel, the Hinesburg Town Forest Committee and the University of Vermont Center for Rural Studies, is excited to announce a new electric mountain bike (eMTB) pilot project on singletrack, non-motorized mountain bike trails in Vermont.

In early 2022, PeopleForBikes sent out requests for proposals to all Vermont Mountain Bike Association (VBMA) chapters in the hopes of securing a partner and trail network that would allow us to study the social and environmental impacts of Class 1 pedal-assist eMTBs in New England. From this proposal process, we officially selected Fellowship of the Wheel (FOTW) as our eMTB Pilot Project trail partner. FOTW identified the Hinesburg Town Forest, near Vermont’s most populous city, Burlington, as the multi-use trail network where the pilot project will be conducted. 

Project partners will conduct a pilot study during the summer of 2022 to better understand the impacts of allowing Class 1 pedal-assist eMTBs on trail networks in Vermont. For the months of July and August, all multi-use trails that currently allow traditional mountain bikes in the Hinesburg Town Forest will include access for Class 1 pedal-assist eMTBs. 

While the mountain bike trails in Hinesburg Town Forest are already open to Class 1 eMTBs, the University of Vermont Center for Rural Studies will create and execute several surveys as part of the project, including the collection of three distinct survey tools. This includes a pre-implementation survey (May), a trail intercept survey (July-Aug.) and a post-implementation focus group (Sept.-Oct.). These surveys, along with eMTB demo days, will be scheduled to gather data regarding perceived impact on physical trail conditions, diversity and inclusion implications and potential social impacts related to the introduction of Class 1 eMTBs on non-motorized, multi-use mountain biking trails.

In addition, a newly created regional stakeholder group will meet at regular intervals throughout the duration of the project. Stakeholders include partners and representatives from across Vermont.

Please reach out to Rachel Fussell, PeopleForBikes’ eMTB policy and program manager, at rachel@peopleforbikes.org with any questions or for more information on ways to get involved. 

Electric Mountain Bike Pilot Project Coming to Vermont

The Wilderness Act of 1964 immediately protected 9.1 million acres of land in the U.S., including the Bob Marshall Wilderness in Montana, Linville Gorge in North Carolina and Mount Hood in Oregon, among many others. The act is most known for its definition of wilderness: 


"A wilderness, in contrast with those areas where man and his own works dominate the landscape, is hereby recognized as an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.”

While this may be a romantic and murky definition, what it does make clear is that “wilderness” does not include people. The protection of these places is wonderful and necessary, but it narrows access to wilderness away from those who can’t venture far enough to reach it. It creates a binary where there can’t be wild things where there are people. But does it have to be this way? Can wilderness be simple and nearby rather than vast and far away? The Urban Wilderness in Knoxville, Tennessee, challenges this dated definition by playing home to more than 50 miles of trails, all in the middle of a city.

Knoxville’s Urban Wilderness spans multiple parks, historical sites and other public lands, all in the southern part of the city, where the creators saw potential in an area spanning more than 1,000 acres from the Alcoa Highway up to the Tennessee River. The Wilderness connects 10 city parks, three Civil War forts, a large nature center, a climbing crag, a 500-acre wildlife management center, a world class mountain bike park, multiple roads, greenways and private land easements, many connected by the 12-mile South Loop System. The area has revitalized South Knoxville, which now includes nine breweries, multiple restaurants and will soon include a campground specifically made for mountain biking — the Drop Inn. The idea for the Urban Wilderness all began with two organizations and a vision.

Legacy Parks Foundation and the Appalachian Mountain Bike Club (AMBC) began the Urban Wilderness with a map. In 2008, Brian Hand, then president of AMBC, looked at the city from his South Knoxville farmhouse and saw potential. Mountain bikers had already been building trails and riding in the Appalachian foothills of Knoxville. While the legality was often dubious, it gave them an understanding of what local mountain biking could be. The rugged karst geology of the region made it difficult to develop, leaving undeveloped green space across South Knox. Hand started talks with Carol Evans, head of Legacy Parks Foundation, who helped formulate a plan to secure funding and public support. They began with a  fundraising goal of more than $1.5 million for the first round of land buying and were surprised to come up with the money in just eight months during a recession. The continued success  led to the city putting $10 million towards a gateway park and entrance to the trail system.

Evans credited this success to creating support across different user groups in Knoxville. She believes Legacy Parks’ ability to be flexible, communicate often and create the trails incrementally are the biggest factors in the success of the Urban Wilderness. The AMBC created the trails, most being moderate, multi-use trails good for riders of all skill levels. Neighborhoods surrounding the trails have embraced them for everything from birdwatching to hiking to dog walking and, of course, biking. The ability to get out and play before work, during lunch or in the evenings has changed people’s perceptions of the city. Knoxville can now identify and take pride in being an outdoor town, rather than just a college town on the way to the Smoky Mountains. This sense of community is particularly strong among AMBC members.

The AMBC has since grown to three full-time staff and one part-time staff member who maintains the Urban Wilderness. When a fallen log or washed-out berm is called in, it is usually fixed within the week if not the day. AMBC has a humility and blue collar attitude towards the trail system. Executive Director Matthew Kellog said their goal is to be “quietly really good” and they are constantly looking for improvements through their memberships in the Southern Off-Road Bicycling Association (SOBRA) and the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA). The organization supports a free youth development program where kids can race in NICA and USAC races at all levels. A grant from Bell Cycling helped create a women’s cycling group, and a grant from Santa Cruz’s PayDirt program recently went towards multiple new all-weather trails.

The city has seen cycling grow in popularity and become an integral part of Knoxville’s culture. Downtown was closed for a few days in late June 2022 when the USA Road Cycling National Championships zoomed across its historic streets. NICA has held multiple interscholastic races in the Urban Wilderness, and ROAM Fest, a womxn-only mountain bike festival, held one of its stops in Knoxville. The other locations? Mountain bike meccas Fruita, Colorado, and Sedona, Arizona.

The Wilderness has also helped shape the identity of the University of Tennessee. University of Tennessee Outdoor Pursuits (UTOP) Director Josh Elder is an avid mountain biker and whitewater paddler who helps decide where to program university-sponsored trips. He says that UTOP uses the Urban Wilderness for 2-4 hour activities about 12 times per school year. More than guided trips, the ability to give a low-entry introduction to biking through rental mountain bikes has led many students to discover and fall in love with the sport. It’s easy to rent a bike in the morning, ride 15 minutes to the trails, explore the Wilderness and be back in time for afternoon classes. “The Urban Wilderness is a glue that holds things together through accessibility for everyone,” said Elder.

The Urban Wilderness challenges the notion that an experience in nature has to be hard to reach, or has to be devoid of people. Legacy Parks Foundation and AMBC have made a trail system for all. Visitors, who bring in up to $52 million in tourism revenue, or locals, who have a daily opportunity to be outside, can equally enjoy the Urban Wilderness. It has helped create a city where more than half of residents can walk to a city park. Wilderness can co-exist in cities and can enrich them through community, recreation and adaptability. The opportunity to find meaning outside has been ensured in an unlikely place, for whoever wants to come experience it.

The Urban Wilderness Transforming Knoxville

Like many towns across the U.S., a change in the way we do business has led to a loss of jobs, local economies and even pride. Places that once relied on logging or mining are now left without industry and struggling to maintain once-thriving population centers, all while also coming to terms with the need for a more climate-resilient economy. The Lost Sierra region of Northern California — which includes communities in California’s Plumas, Sierra, Butte and Lassen Counties — is no different.

The Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship (SBTS), a nonprofit that builds and maintains multi-use trails in the region, wants to rethink how its towns do business. The organization developed a Trails Master Plan for Connected Communities, funded by the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, which puts forth a vision for a recreation-focused lifestyle through community investment, shared stewardship, economic opportunity and new local jobs. 

The project includes building a new 600-plus-mile trail system, dubbed the “Lost Sierra Route,” which will ultimately connect 15 mountain towns that span from Truckee northward to Westwood, near where the Sierra Nevada end and the Cascade Range begins. The landscape is nothing short of spectacular and once completed, is sure to become a destination for outdoor adventurists near and far — and a home for all of the business they tend to bring.

Mountain bikers riding from the town of Quincy pose on Mt. Hough before descending into Taylorsville below for an overnight stay. (Photo credit: Patrick Cavender)

“We’re not trying to replace the logging or mining industry. We still need industry, but we feel like recreation can complement things,” said Greg Williams, executive director of the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship. “We create jobs, opportunities, apprenticeships and trainings — we’re trying to retain working families here and retain talent.”

With wildfires increasing every year, the project also seeks to strike a balance between fuel management, recreation, healthy watersheds and public education. Williams is Northern Sierra Miwok and telling the story of his Indigenous ancestors, as well as others like the Washoe and Maidu, is another important part of the equation, not only to honor the original stewards of the land but also to draw inspiration from the less-extractive ways they continue to interact with it. 

A longtime bicyclist and former shop owner, Williams founded SBTS in 2003 after a big winter left a lot of trees down and trails damaged. With the Forest Service losing a good deal of its funding, Williams and a group of volunteers took the initiative to take care of the trails. Since then, the organization’s employees and volunteers have built more than 120 miles of trail, maintained more than 1,479 miles and collectively contributed well over 100,000 hours of labor to the surrounding National Forest lands. There are currently 66 full-time and seasonal employees, 24 of which are high school students from throughout the region. 

Employees and volunteers have worked on everything from garden-variety singletrack to wilderness portions of the Pacific Crest Trail to ADA-compliant paths to multi-use flow trails. The Connected Communities Project, which is slated for a summer 2030 completion date, will include the creation and maintenance of multi-purpose trails that allow for all dirt trail travelers, including eMTB and traditional mountain bikes, hikers and trail runners, equestrians, hunters, fishermen and, of course, wildlife. When possible, the trails will be ADA accessible.

“We're not saying no to any trail user that can fit on a trail,” said Williams. “It’s about inclusion, equity, diversity and access — not just in people but how they recreate.”

The trail will include mainstreet connections in the 15 mountain communities it serves, as well as traverse the headwaters of the Yuba and Feather Rivers, critical watersheds that supply more than 65% of California’s drinking water. The master plan also includes designated recreation zones, or areas that are on Forest Service land close to commercial centers. These areas will provide close access to trails for locals, helping them avoid having to drive to trailheads, as well as convenient downtown parking for visitors, which will help generate business.

The recreation zones were the result of community feedback from some 16 town hall meetings, 100 virtual meetings and in-person park sessions, complete with big dry-erase boards and maps where residents could draw in their dream plans. SBTS also opened up an online public survey and solicited takers using kiosks and booklets strategically placed at gas stations and businesses. All in all, the nonprofit got almost 1,200 people throughout the region to take the survey and some 800 took the time to draw on the maps to showcase their vision. 

It was through that public process that SBTS was able to gain support from other organizations, including the Forest Service, individual cities, counties and members of Congress. A strong partnership with the Forest Service is particularly important, as all of the proposed trails are susceptible to an environmental review. Importantly, SBTS is sure to always contract with local folks — whether that be biologists, hydrologists, archeologists or trail builders — in order to support the local economy and help build investment in the network.

Kelly Tan of Taylorsville provides input to members of the Sierra Buttes Trails Stewardship on the Lost Sierra Route. 

“We want this project to be like a recipe book — a national model for how communities can engage with land managers,” said Williams. “At every step of the way, we're documenting the pitfalls we’ve experienced and some of the really great things we did, and we'll be sharing throughout the nation how we did it. Hopefully, we can save people some grief and also inspire them to take it to another level.”

As part of that commitment to being open and transparent about the project, Williams is scheduled to speak at PeopleForBikes’ Electric Mountain Bike Summit on September 15, 2022, in Olympic Valley, California. For Williams and SBTS, allowing eMTBs on the trail system is an important part of keeping it inclusive and accessible to everyone. Like many things pertaining to good trail use, education is key and that’s why good signage, maps and informational kiosks are a key component of the Connected Communities master plan. Industry partners, shop owners and land managers all also have a role to play in making sure e-bikes are used responsibly.

“We want people to be able to ride e-bikes up here and we’ve been working with the National Forest and our industry partners to get bikes up here and take land managers out,” said Williams. “We want to give them an experience riding so as they’re making decisions, they have a good understanding of what an e-bike is.”

The Connected Communities project has a long list of industry partners, including Shimano, Santa Cruz Bicycles and Fox, but SBTS always welcomes more support. While the project has received the green light and secured some $2.6 million in grant funding to date, it will require an estimated $40 million total over the next eight years. For a team that’s committed to building trails — and doing so in a way that’s low-maintenance and won’t require a lot of additional money down the road — fundraising, while necessary, can be exhausting. For a volunteer-driven nonprofit, that time is better spent on outreach, education and trail building.

“To bring an economy to towns that desperately need it, $40 million isn’t that much,” said Williams. “Especially when you consider all of our programs, how many people we reach and the jobs and opportunities we create.”

It’s that impact that’s gotten most folks in the region on board. Pushback, in general, has been minimal and tends to dissipate once people realize the ways a recreation-based economy can help keep grocery stores and restaurants open, as well as motivate future generations to stay in place. After all, hikers and bikers aren’t the worst sorts of visitors, having an innate desire to protect the places where they play. Although there are sure to be some pressure points, the ultimate goal is a region with diversified recreation opportunities that connect communities and provide economic stability. A place where all people, especially youth, can learn about the environment and where climate resiliency is top of mind. 

“What we’re trying to create is multigenerational pride and a workplace for people to be able to come back to and raise their kids, and this is our chance, through recreation,” said Williams. “I’m confident that Connected Communities will be built in such a way that it’s going to change people’s lives — this will last, generation after generation.”

On November 8, voters across the country approved nearly $3.6 billion dollars in local funding for new bicycle infrastructure, all of which were opportunities that PeopleForBikes tracked and raised awareness for through our VoteForBikes campaign. This money will go towards better on-street biking and walking infrastructure, new trail systems, park construction, and other active transportation improvements. The November election marks the culmination of our 2022 campaign, which saw a total of 42 successful pro-bike ballot measures, representing $4.2 billion in new local bicycle infrastructure funds this year alone. 

A few notable measures from across the country:

Voters in Cook County, Illinois, increased funding by $380 million for county forest preserves, which boast 150 miles of paved trails and 200 miles of unpaved trails for riding. 

In Teton County, Wyoming, voters extended a penny sales tax to approve 15 local projects, including two that will net $18 million for bikes over the next six years by creating safe routes to school, as well as fund bike/ped safety signage and other features in the town of Jackson.

Over in Wake Forest, North Carolina, voters supported a $14.4 million bond solely dedicated to improvements on three town greenways and the construction of nearly 5 miles of additional pathways. 

In Salt Lake City, Utah, voters approved an $80 million public land bond that will provide recreational opportunities and natural area protection, with an emphasis on several bike projects and trails. 

Voters in Salem, Oregon, supported a large municipal bond to fund critical infrastructure projects, with a stated focus on multimodal needs and park improvements. At least $25 million in funding will be specifically dedicated to safer bicycle routes and crossings.

In San Francisco, California, the combined results of Measures I and J maintained car-free space in Golden Gate Park and along JFK Drive, two of San Francisco's significant routes dedicated to biking, walking, and active transportation.

Funding for these measures and 35-plus others embodies the groundswell in community support for safer and more accessible infrastructure. Regular people in dozens of cities and counties voted to raise or extend property, sales, and/or income taxes to fund this new local infrastructure directly or via bonds. Many measures also established community oversight boards to ensure the projects are being built as intended and with robust community input.

A big thank you to the millions of you who were part of this success — by voting, spreading the word, or simply riding in your hometown and demonstrating the importance of this infrastructure. Stay tuned in 2023 as PeopleForBikes continues to monitor local elections and build awareness around opportunities for better biking infrastructure! 

On November 8, 2022, voters across the nation approved dozens of local ballot measures that will help grow recreational biking and trail projects near them. All told, our VoteForBikes campaign tracked more than $725 million in new funding for recreational biking that was passed on local ballots. 

A few notable measures from around the country: 

In Cook County, Illinois, voters increased funding by $380 million for the county Forest Preserves, which boast 150 miles of paved trails and 200 miles of unpaved trails for riding. 


Over in Salt Lake City, Utah, voters approved an $80 million public land bond that will provide recreational opportunities and natural area protection, with an emphasis on several bike projects and trails. 


Voters in Douglas County, Colorado, renewed a sales tax that will generate $76 million to fund land and trail acquisitions, as well as park maintenance and operations. 


In Indian River County, Florida, voters supported a $50 million Environmental Land Bond. Money will go towards protecting natural areas and preserving land for outdoor recreation and biking. 


Unofficial results Voters in Cache County, Utah, showed strong support for a $20 million Open Space conservation bond which includes funding for new natural-surface trails and improved connectivity. 

Other successful measures include a property tax increase that will generate $100 million in King County, Washington, to protect open space lands and develop trail corridors; an $8 million bond in the Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, New Mexico, for improving parkland and recreational trails; and property tax increase that will generate $13.7 million in Freehold Township, New Jersey for improving parks, trails, and recreational opportunities. 

Click here to explore our full VoteForBikes campaign results, which include more details on the measures above and over 40 others that PeopleForBikes has advocated for in 2022, representing nearly $5 million in new approved local ballot-based funding for safer on-street infrastructure, better bike facilities, improved trails and greenways, and more. 

Voters Approve $725 Million in Recreation Infrastructure Funds

The first-of-its-kind bill prioritizes recreation and mountain biking on public lands nationwide.

On May 3, 2022, the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources (SENR) Committee advanced America’s Outdoor Recreation Act of 2022, a landmark policy package dedicated to funding recreation infrastructure and expanding access on our federal public lands. The bill would help develop long-distance bike trails and streamline the recreation permitting process.

The package, which heads to the Senate floor but still requires approval in the House of Representatives, includes the Biking on Long Distance Trails (BOLT) Act and the Simplifying Outdoor Access to Recreation (SOAR) Act. PeopleForBikes sent a letter in support of these and several other bills included in the package before the SENR’s last hearing on recreation policy on December 1, 2021. 

Read more about building momentum for pro-recreation policy. 

"America’s Outdoor Recreation Act of 2022 will make biking and mountain biking experiences on our public lands more accessible, sustainable and enjoyable for all. Provisions like SOAR and BOLT will help meet the growing demand for bicycling as a low-cost, emissionless and tourism-driving activity," said PeopleForBikes President and CEO Jenn Dice. "This package proves that bike policy brings both sides of the aisle together to grow infrastructure and access. We look forward to working with the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on advancing this first-of-its-kind bipartisan investment in the future of recreation."

Take Action to Support America's Outdoor Recreation Act of 2022.

The BOLT Act would direct federal land management agencies from the Department of Interior to the U.S. Forest Service under the Department of Agriculture to work together to identify and develop ten unique, long-distance trails for biking on our public lands. The SOAR Act would streamline the currently burdensome recreation permitting process, lessening the duplicative paperwork that guides and outfitters for multi-day and multi-jurisdictional bike trips are required to submit. 

PeopleForBikes applauds the SENR Committee for continuing the legacy of the Great American Outdoors Act of 2020 with this new package. We look forward to working with the bicycle industry, champions for outdoor recreation in Congress and our national advocacy partners to swiftly move America’s Outdoor Recreation Act of 2022 through the legislative process. 

New Recreation Policy Package Hits U.S. Senate

In North Carolina, mountain bike trails on Cherokee land are improving citizens’ quality of life and transforming the local economy.

There are some 16,000 enrolled members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, a sovereign nation located on more than 57,000 acres in the western part of North Carolina. The area, known as the Qualla Boundary, is mountainous and forested and its main town, Cherokee, serves as a gateway to the nearby Great Smoky Mountains National Park and a number of recreational opportunities. 

In early 2015, Tonya “Tinker” Jenks, a tribal member and employee, received approval to start building trails on 212 acres within the Qualla Boundary. Rates of obesity and diabetes are high amongst the Cherokee and her goal was simple: provide another option for enrolled citizens to connect with nature and stay active. When Jeremy Hyatt, the tribe’s secretary of operations and an avid mountain biker, took over the program later that year, he expanded on Jenks’ vision to include 10.5 miles of singletrack. The Fire Mountain Trails opened in June 2017 and they quickly became a regional destination. 

“I’m excited about building outdoor infrastructure in general and being secretary, I’m always trying to find the low-hanging fruit,” said Hyatt, adding that outdoor initiatives tend to be significantly less expensive than other tribal expenditures.

Inclusive Biking

Sustainable Transportation

Electric Bikes

Bike Business

Recreational Bike Access

City Riding

Policy

Improving Recreational Access for Bikes

Securing Funding for New Parks and Trails

Helping Cities Build Great Places to Bike That Are Close to Home

Improving Road Cyclist Safety

Increasing Access for Kids, Veterans, Electric Bicycle Riders and Underserved Communities

Promoting Recreation-Based Economic Development in Rural Areas