WMBC - WordPress.com · • Oakridge, Oregon – $1.2 Million impact (Mountain Bike Oregon...

26
WMBC Whatcom Mountain Bike Coalition To preserve and enhance non-motorized trail access in Whatcom County through stewardship, education, and advocacy

Transcript of WMBC - WordPress.com · • Oakridge, Oregon – $1.2 Million impact (Mountain Bike Oregon...

Page 1: WMBC - WordPress.com · • Oakridge, Oregon – $1.2 Million impact (Mountain Bike Oregon weekends) • Bend, Oregon - $400k impact (High Cascades 100 race) • Ogden, Utah - $1.2

WMBC Whatcom Mountain Bike Coalition – To

preserve and enhance non-motorized trail access in Whatcom County through stewardship, education, and advocacy

Page 2: WMBC - WordPress.com · • Oakridge, Oregon – $1.2 Million impact (Mountain Bike Oregon weekends) • Bend, Oregon - $400k impact (High Cascades 100 race) • Ogden, Utah - $1.2

From The Beginning

• Started as a tight-knit group of mountain bikers - affectionately known as the WHIMPS

• Building and maintaining trails in Whatcom County for 28 years

• WMBC has been the official stewards on Galbraith Mountain for 10 years

Page 3: WMBC - WordPress.com · • Oakridge, Oregon – $1.2 Million impact (Mountain Bike Oregon weekends) • Bend, Oregon - $400k impact (High Cascades 100 race) • Ogden, Utah - $1.2

Board of Directors • President – Matt Durand, Principal of Mt. Baker High School • Vice President and Director of Volunteers – Barbara Karabin,

Physical Therapist • Director of Education – Hale Hanaway, Teacher at Silver Beach

Elementary • Director of Events – Val Thompson, Self-Employed, Massage

Therapist • Director of Marketing – Kevin Menard, Owner – Transition

Bicycle Company • Director of Advocacy – Blake Treadway, Transition Bicycle

Company • At Large (DNR) – Thad Quinn, Bike Sales and Mechanic

Page 4: WMBC - WordPress.com · • Oakridge, Oregon – $1.2 Million impact (Mountain Bike Oregon weekends) • Bend, Oregon - $400k impact (High Cascades 100 race) • Ogden, Utah - $1.2

Dedicated Volunteers

• 15 organized trail days a year – some with 60 – 80 volunteers

• 2014 – 7,000 hours, plus thousands more hours of ad hoc maintenance

• 2013 – 5,000 hours, plus thousands more hours of ad hoc maintenance

• 1,500 WMBC and 2,900 Preserve Galbraith Facebook Friends, 652 email subscribers

Page 5: WMBC - WordPress.com · • Oakridge, Oregon – $1.2 Million impact (Mountain Bike Oregon weekends) • Bend, Oregon - $400k impact (High Cascades 100 race) • Ogden, Utah - $1.2

Trail Maintenance

• Redesign trails to meet modern and sustainable standards

• Removing fallen trees (blowdown) • Inspections and maintenance of bridgework and

trail features • Sustainable trail tread

– Eliminating low spots – Armoring with rock – Crowning trail to sheet water – Grade Reversals

Page 6: WMBC - WordPress.com · • Oakridge, Oregon – $1.2 Million impact (Mountain Bike Oregon weekends) • Bend, Oregon - $400k impact (High Cascades 100 race) • Ogden, Utah - $1.2

Stewardship

Page 7: WMBC - WordPress.com · • Oakridge, Oregon – $1.2 Million impact (Mountain Bike Oregon weekends) • Bend, Oregon - $400k impact (High Cascades 100 race) • Ogden, Utah - $1.2

Stewardship

• Galbraith Mountain - 43 mile trail network.

• Larrabee State Park – Two Dollar Trail, Double Black Diamond Trail, Upper Chuckanut Ridge Trail

• Blanchard Mountain – Lily to Lizard Lake Connector, Larry Reed Trail

• Whatcom County Parks – Raptor Ridge Trail, Lower Salal Trail

• Bellingham City Parks – Civic Field Dirt Jump Park and Miranda Trail

Page 8: WMBC - WordPress.com · • Oakridge, Oregon – $1.2 Million impact (Mountain Bike Oregon weekends) • Bend, Oregon - $400k impact (High Cascades 100 race) • Ogden, Utah - $1.2

Stewards of Galbraith Mountain

• Responsible for Liability Insurance – $4 million dollar policy

• Maintenance of all trails – 43 miles, most trails are ~2-3 feet wide

• Majority of trails are multi-use and utilized by bikers, runners, hikers, and walkers

• Weekly coordination with Janicki Logging during timber harvests

• Re-opened 23 miles of trail in one year after a large timber harvest

• Implemented an EMS checkpoint system.

Page 9: WMBC - WordPress.com · • Oakridge, Oregon – $1.2 Million impact (Mountain Bike Oregon weekends) • Bend, Oregon - $400k impact (High Cascades 100 race) • Ogden, Utah - $1.2

Education Programs

Page 10: WMBC - WordPress.com · • Oakridge, Oregon – $1.2 Million impact (Mountain Bike Oregon weekends) • Bend, Oregon - $400k impact (High Cascades 100 race) • Ogden, Utah - $1.2

Education Programs

• Service learning projects with Fairhaven Middle School, Whatcom Middle School, Windward High School, Lynden Christian

• Eagle Scout projects

• Developing after school clubs – Silver Beach, Wade King, Birchwood, Whatcom Middle School

• Training Local Bike Instructors

• Collaboration with WWU students and professors

Page 11: WMBC - WordPress.com · • Oakridge, Oregon – $1.2 Million impact (Mountain Bike Oregon weekends) • Bend, Oregon - $400k impact (High Cascades 100 race) • Ogden, Utah - $1.2

Education Programs (continued)

• In Collaboration with Everybody Bikes, we promote bike safety at:

– Lowell, Roosevelt, Wade King, Silver beach and Happy Valley Elementary schools.

Page 12: WMBC - WordPress.com · • Oakridge, Oregon – $1.2 Million impact (Mountain Bike Oregon weekends) • Bend, Oregon - $400k impact (High Cascades 100 race) • Ogden, Utah - $1.2

Community Events

Page 13: WMBC - WordPress.com · • Oakridge, Oregon – $1.2 Million impact (Mountain Bike Oregon weekends) • Bend, Oregon - $400k impact (High Cascades 100 race) • Ogden, Utah - $1.2

Community Events

• Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day

• Shoot The Trails – Local film and photo contest

• Bike 2 Brew – Group rides followed by a celebration at Kulshan Brewery

• Fall and Spring Races – Cascadia Dirt Cup and Enduro of Subdued Excitement

• We assist with the Tour de Whatcom, Ski to Sea, Padden Pedal and the Bellingham Traverse

• Galbraith Beer series – Boundary Bay Brewery

Page 14: WMBC - WordPress.com · • Oakridge, Oregon – $1.2 Million impact (Mountain Bike Oregon weekends) • Bend, Oregon - $400k impact (High Cascades 100 race) • Ogden, Utah - $1.2

Advocacy

Page 15: WMBC - WordPress.com · • Oakridge, Oregon – $1.2 Million impact (Mountain Bike Oregon weekends) • Bend, Oregon - $400k impact (High Cascades 100 race) • Ogden, Utah - $1.2

Advocacy • Our organization and dedicated user base:

– Continue to advocate for Authorized recreation in Whatcom County on DNR-managed land (since 2008)

– Attended County Council meetings to support the Lake Whatcom Park (reconveyance)

– Attend monthly Blanchard Mt. User Meetings (DNR) – Contributed to recent DNR Trail Policy guidelines (on-going) – Guided the Comprehensive Area Management Plan process for

Larrabee State Park (completed) – Contributed to USFS Open Roads Analysis and Discussions – Contributing to the Upper Nooksack River Recreation Planning

Process (on-going) – Advocating for pump tracks and skills zones in city parks

Page 16: WMBC - WordPress.com · • Oakridge, Oregon – $1.2 Million impact (Mountain Bike Oregon weekends) • Bend, Oregon - $400k impact (High Cascades 100 race) • Ogden, Utah - $1.2

Nationally Recognized Trail Network

Page 18: WMBC - WordPress.com · • Oakridge, Oregon – $1.2 Million impact (Mountain Bike Oregon weekends) • Bend, Oregon - $400k impact (High Cascades 100 race) • Ogden, Utah - $1.2

Mountain Bike Economic Benefits

2014 User Survey (749 respondents):

• 31.5% reside outside of Bellingham or Whatcom County.

• These people are affluent (67% with an income of $70k+)

• 53% spend a minimum of $40 per visit at breweries, restaurants, hotels, gas stations, bike shops and supermarkets.

• 72% of them visit Bellingham at least quarterly (and 25% monthly) to recreate on our trails.

• 50% of our racers are from outside of

Whatcom County.

• Our trails are not seasonal dependent.

Page 19: WMBC - WordPress.com · • Oakridge, Oregon – $1.2 Million impact (Mountain Bike Oregon weekends) • Bend, Oregon - $400k impact (High Cascades 100 race) • Ogden, Utah - $1.2

Mountain Bike Economic Benefits

Page 20: WMBC - WordPress.com · • Oakridge, Oregon – $1.2 Million impact (Mountain Bike Oregon weekends) • Bend, Oregon - $400k impact (High Cascades 100 race) • Ogden, Utah - $1.2

Economic Benefits Elsewhere

• Squamish, B.C. – $4 Million annual impact (26 weekend riding season - extrapolated)

• Oakridge, Oregon – $1.2 Million impact (Mountain Bike Oregon weekends)

• Bend, Oregon - $400k impact (High Cascades 100 race)

• Ogden, Utah - $1.2 Billion invested by businesses relocating

• Moab, Utah - $8.4 million annual impact

Page 21: WMBC - WordPress.com · • Oakridge, Oregon – $1.2 Million impact (Mountain Bike Oregon weekends) • Bend, Oregon - $400k impact (High Cascades 100 race) • Ogden, Utah - $1.2

Improves Quality of Life

Page 22: WMBC - WordPress.com · • Oakridge, Oregon – $1.2 Million impact (Mountain Bike Oregon weekends) • Bend, Oregon - $400k impact (High Cascades 100 race) • Ogden, Utah - $1.2

Improves Quality of Life

Page 23: WMBC - WordPress.com · • Oakridge, Oregon – $1.2 Million impact (Mountain Bike Oregon weekends) • Bend, Oregon - $400k impact (High Cascades 100 race) • Ogden, Utah - $1.2

Businesses Recruit talent using Galbraith Mountain (examples)

• St. Joe’s Hospital

• WWU

• Logos Software

• Homes for Sale near the Trail network

• Fanatik Bike

Page 24: WMBC - WordPress.com · • Oakridge, Oregon – $1.2 Million impact (Mountain Bike Oregon weekends) • Bend, Oregon - $400k impact (High Cascades 100 race) • Ogden, Utah - $1.2

Future Projects:

Proposed or in-process trail projects: • Whatcom County Parks – Reconveyance planning and build

out

• Larrabee State Park – 17 Miles of proposed trails. Trail Planning is currently in progress.

• DNR – Lily to Lizard connector, Alternate Incline Reroutes

• City of Bellingham – Pumptracks and skills zones in parks

• USFS – Canyon Ridge re-routes and additions

• Galbraith Trail Expansion and Skills Zones

Page 25: WMBC - WordPress.com · • Oakridge, Oregon – $1.2 Million impact (Mountain Bike Oregon weekends) • Bend, Oregon - $400k impact (High Cascades 100 race) • Ogden, Utah - $1.2

Our Vision:

• Continue to build recreation, community spirit and quality of life

• Continue to create nationally recognized trail networks near Bellingham

• To create and host world class races and events

• To build educational programs that promote mt. biking, advocacy and stewardship for the lands where we recreate

• To help draw businesses and recreation-based tourism to Bellingham

Page 26: WMBC - WordPress.com · • Oakridge, Oregon – $1.2 Million impact (Mountain Bike Oregon weekends) • Bend, Oregon - $400k impact (High Cascades 100 race) • Ogden, Utah - $1.2

In Closing

• Continue to promote mountain biking through stewardship, education, and advocacy