Politics : politics@vcmc.info

Sequoia Trails Newsletter August 2025

PREVENTING PROPOSED NEPA CHANGES FROM CLOSING TRAILS

Most people have no idea what NEPA is or what it does.

NEPA is the National Environmental Policy Act, which requires the Forest Service and BLM to seek and consider public input for Travel Management and other planning.

Over the years NEPA has been weaponized by extreme groups to stall or prevent- forest fuel reduction, timber management, oil and gas projects, meadow restoration and even trail projects. We have sorely needed an adjustment of NEPA to correct this and allow much needed projects to move forward in a timely and cost effective manner.

So it is great that the President has mandated the Forest Service and BLM to fix NEPA.

Understandably, their proposal focuses on the most egregious issues of fuel reduction, timber management and oil and gas projects. However, the changes they propose to NEPA could allow wholesale closure of roads, trails and recreation. Yet roads, trails and recreation are not even mentioned in the proposed changes.

Stewards submitted these Comments to both the Forest Service and BLM urging them to ensure that recreation, roads and trails are protected with specific NEPA procedures and full public involvement.

TRIALS TIRE WIN

For more than a decade Stewards have been promoting the huge benefits of running Trials Tires for trail riding. Many riders scoff at this claiming they are not serious tires. Well Steward Baylor just won a National Enduro on the Dunlop Trials Tire, in addition to many other riders winning Endurocross and other events on Trials Tires.

To be honest, Trials Tires offer even more benefits to trail riders. Having ridden Trial Tries for 20 years on mostly technical single track aired down to 6psi with Tubeliss the traction is simply amazing. They track straight over rock gardens rather than bouncing around like a knobby. Go up loose climbs with ease, while knobby riders paddle and spin.

Swapping bikes with a buddy, both KTM 500's and gave it gas like I do on my Trial tired bike, but his 6psi knobby clad bike fishtailed and spun due to lack of traction. Many riders seem to think gummy tires are as good as Trials Tires, but as Baylor mentioned the gummy tires don't have as much traction since it is about contact patch and soft sidewalls, not just soft rubber.

Here is a short video on the "Most Overlooked Performance Gain" of lowering tire pressure and Trials Tires

Also, Trials Tires do not make braking bumps or whoops, so trails can stay pristine rather than getting hammered. Give one a try and get the secret weapon to being a better rider.

Here is the article discussing the Benefits of Running a Trials Tire on Your Dirt Bike | Dirt Rider