On Thursday Dec 19th, 2024 the Senate passed the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act. Within this package of legislation is nested the Biking on Long Distance Trails (BOLT) Act. The BOLT Act will identify at least 10 existing long-distance bike trails and at least 10 areas where there is an opportunity to develop or complete such trails. The bill will also direct the Department of Interior to publish and distribute maps, install signage, and distribute promotional materials.
Now this historic legislation moves to the president’s desk, and as such, we must prepare to strike while the iron is hot.
We have an incredible opportunity at our fingertips to identify and expand on backcountry cycling here in Alaska. The existing Kenai 250 route, Southern Trek Iditarod Trail, and the Alaska Long Trail can all coalesce to create one of the world’s premier backcountry bikepacking routes. Should these existing trails become recognized as a singular iconic bikepacking opportunity, efforts to maintain and promote each individual segment of this broader long distance route become less burdensome.
By leveraging existing historic, cultural, and natural federal designations in the region and building upon momentum already in place surrounding restoration projects along Iditarod Historic Trail and the development on the Alaska Long Trail, we have a strong case:
Alaska must be included as one of the key 10 Development Regions identified by the BOLT Act.
We encourage you to take just a few moments to reach out to Senator Lisa Murkowski to thank her for her support in creating iconic backcountry cycling experiences across this nation and her continued efforts to promote and fund long distance recreation opportunities in Alaska.
You can contact Senator Murkowski via this link.
If you need a little cut and paste inspiration, we’ve got you covered…
TOPIC: Public Lands.
Thank you for passing the EXPLORE Act. Please include the Kenai as a BOLT trail.
As an avid outdoor enthusiast who enjoys our nation’s public lands and waters, I am delighted to see the EXPLORE Act pass through the Senate and become law. Specifically, I am thrilled about the addition of the Biking on Long Distance Trails (BOLT) Act therewithin.
Alaska’s backcountry is its most remarkable and economically salient feature. Our iconic terrain and unique cycling opportunities keeps Alaskans at home happy and sustains robust ecotourism. According to a 2020 Utah State University report on the benefits of long distance cycling tourism, long distance bike routes offer the largest return on development investments of any form of outdoor recreation and – in particular – benefit small and rural communities disproportionately so. Once visitors make the long trek to Alaska with their bike in tow, the longer the trail network is for them to ride, the more money they will spend along the route with the average bikepacker actively spending $104 per day on supplies and food.
We have an incredible opportunity at our fingertips to identify and expand on backcountry cycling here in Alaska. The existing Kenai 250 route, Southern Trek Iditarod Trail, and the Alaska Long Trail can all coalesce to create one of the world’s premier backcountry bikepacking routes. Should these existing trails become recognized as a singular iconic bikepacking opportunity, efforts to maintain and promote each individual segment of this broader long distance route become less burdensome.
By leveraging existing historic, cultural, and natural federal designations in the region and building upon momentum already in place surrounding restoration projects along Iditarod Historic Trail and the development on the Alaska Long Trail, we have a strong case:
Alaska must be included as one of the key 10 Development Regions identified by the Biking on Long Distance Trails (BOLT) Act.
Thank you so much for prioritizing outdoor recreation, which is important to Americans all across the country and across political affiliations. As your constituent and a recreationist, I’m thrilled to see the bill pass.
SIncerely,
Happy Trails,
Cameron Sanders
A Lens for Wanderlust
He/Him/They
