In March, it was announced that the US Forest Service had developed a process for allowing e-bikes on trails in National Forests. Next week, the process is beginning in the Ouachita and Ozark-St. Francis National Forests here in Arkansas. The public is invited to attend this virtual workshop.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – (May 2, 2022) Ouachita and Ozark-St. Francis National Forests officials are holding a virtual collaboration workshop on May 11, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., to explain a planned Environmental Assessment on e-bike use on three specific trails that are currently closed to motorized traffic.
The purpose of the assessment is to determine if allowing e-bikes on forest trails could have significant impacts on the environment. The general criteria for review involves looking at natural and cultural resources, public safety, recreation opportunities, access needs, use conflicts, and maintenance needs.
Rider on the Syllamo Trail in the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest“Conducting the Environmental Assessment allows the Ouachita and Ozark-St. Francis National Forests to balance enhanced motorized recreation experiences with stewardship of the land and resources,” said Amy Burt, planning and public services staff officer on the Ozark-St. Francis National Forests.
The trails being evaluated on the Ouachita National Forest is the Womble Trail. On the Ozark-St. Francis National Forests, the trails being considered are the Syllamo Trail and the Upper Buffalo Trail.
“As the Forest Service actively explores how to incorporate new trends in recreation use, such as the popularity of e-bikes, public feedback is a key component to consider,” said Chris Ham, Ouachita National Forest’s recreation, planning, heritage, and wilderness staff officer. “The public workshop will provide us an opportunity to inform the public about e-bikes and our process for the upcoming analysis.
Through this analysis, the forests will also be establishing a way to evaluate other trails for e-bike use in the future. The meeting will take place on Microsoft Teams Live. The presentation will include information on the planning process, the project’s purpose, and how the public can be involved. A question-and-answer session will follow the presentation.
To attend the virtual public meeting, go to https://tinyurl.com/EbikeCollaborativeWkShp.
For more information or to ask questions, visit the Ouachita National Forest website at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/ouachita/. For the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/osfnf/
