A resource management plan for the Four Rivers area (a popular mountain biking area) in Southwest Idaho has been released by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
Mountain biking has increased in the area over the past decade, notes the Proposed Resource Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement from the Four Rivers Field Office, Boise District, Idaho. The proposal notes an increasing demand “for certain non-motorized events like mountain bike races, adventure trail runs, and triathlon type events,” especially in the Boise area.
The plan outlines four alternatives for future actions, as follows:
- “No Action Alternative,” which is essentially a continuation of current policy and management plans.
- Increased protection of natural and cultural resources, which could lead to more restriction in availability for recreation or development.
- Increased growth, making more land available for development, including extractive energy resources, and increased recreation, with less focus on wilderness protection.
- Management of public lands to accommodate both economic and recreational development, while promoting conservation of the most sensitive natural and cultural resources.
The full report is available online at https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/planAndProjectSite.do?methodName=dispatchToPatternPage¤tPageId=10301
