http://www.sierratimes.com/02/09/08/arjl090802.htm Green Ally Learns It Bicycles With Wolves by John G. Lankford Providents News Service Published 09. 8. 02 at 4:44 Sierra Time Senator Barbara Boxer (D Ca) this past summer cold-shouldered mountain bicyclists, usually her environmentalist allies, seeking exceptions to her California Wild Heritage bill. Mountain bicycling interest groups the International Mountain Bicyclists Association and the Warriors Society, IMBA's southern California affiliate, charge Boxer's staff concocted an ersatz group to quote in unqualified support of the bill, expecting many would think it speaks for most devotees of the sport. Both groups oppose the bill in its current form. The come-lately organization also misrepresented the IMBA's own position, the established groups contend, and Boxer posted the misstatements on her senatorial website. The abruptly shunned IMBA supports the thrust of Boxer's California Wild Heritage (Wilderness) bill (S 2535), but wants it adjusted so bicyclists will not be excluded from a number of their favorite trails by Wilderness designations the bill would impose on 2.5 million acres of federal lands in California. All mechanical vehicles, including mountain bicycles, are barred from areas designated as Wilderness. The Warriors Society, the IMBA southern California affiliate, is charging that Boxer's staff during the summer helped form Mountain Bicyclists For Wilderness to make it appear cyclists support the bill despite its denying them access to many trails. IMBA Advocacy Director Jenn Dice agreed with the Warriors charge, saying, "Mountain Bikers for Wilderness is just a group Boxer and the California Wild Heritage Campaign put together. They aren't a club, just a collection of names." On July 30, MB4W displayed on its website a letter to Senator Boxer supporting the bill and claiming several "chapter presidents" of IMBA agree. The same day, the group issued a press release announcing the letter. [...] ------------------------------------------------------------------------- POLITECH -- Declan McCullagh's politics and technology mailing list You may redistribute this message freely if you include this notice. To subscribe to Politech: http://www.politechbot.com/info/subscribe.html This message is archived at http://www.politechbot.com/ Declan McCullagh's photographs are at http://www.mccullagh.org/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Like Politech? Make a donation here: http://www.politechbot.com/donate/ Recent CNET News.com articles: http://news.search.com/search?q=declan CNET Radio 9:40 am ET weekdays: http://cnet.com/broadband/0-7227152.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------
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