Hello neighbors and friends of Arms Forest,
Consultants for the Rock Point and Arms Forest Coalition will be holding a meeting for concerned neighbors at 4pm this Wednesday, May 1, at The Bagel on North Avenue. Please attend to register your opinion about how you think Arms Forest should be used.
The Coalition includes Parks Foundation of Burlington, the Lake Champlain Land Trust, the Episcopal Church in Vermont, the City of Burlington, and The Fellowship of the Wheel, a mountain biking advocacy organization. The Coalition is planning to increase and manage access to Rock Point and Arms Forest. In addition to protecting the shoreline of Rock Point, the project includes the development of Arms Forest as an official city park, with special accommodation of mountain biking.
Given the momentum towards increasing access, it is very important that people who treasure Arms Forest attend this meeting to advocate for its ecological and pedestrian values.
If you are interested in learning more background information on the subject, here are some links to further reading:
A study and plan conducted in 2003: https://www.burlingtonvt.gov/sites/default/files/PZ/OpenSpaceProtectionPlan/arms%20grant%20p[...]pdf .
Some thoughts of a local mountain biker. Bill Burrell: https://frontporchforum.com/areas/42/posts?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=burrell&area_ids%5B%[...]rch .
Finally, an excerpted version of Bill's 8/2/18, letter to City Council regarding the idea of allowing mountain biking within Arms Park:
Dear Council Member,
I am an avid mountain biker. I ride a lot at Saxon Hill in Essex, Sunny Hollow in Colchester, Perry Hill in Waterbury, Cochran's, Mud Pond in Williston, Hinesburg Town Forest, Carse Hill, and Cady Hill in Stowe. I see, everyday, the benefits that mountain biking has on a local and state's economy and recreation, especially for our youth. Sadly, in many cases, I also see the negative impact that mountain biking has on fragile ecosystems within these trail systems. As an avid expert mountain biker I ask that the City continue its policy of not allowing bikes of any kind into Arms Forest. We hear what the "experts" say about biking within this park. However, as an avid mountain biker, I predict that eventually, over time, biking will destroy this park's extremely valuable and sensitive flora and fauna. Many studies support my weekly observations about mountain biking and mountain bikers' behaviors within sensitive ecosystems such as Arms Forest (for example, https://www.lib.washington.edu/msd/norestriction/b67566091.pdf).
The recreation "experts" say over and over again that if we properly design designated trails people will stay on them and won't create new, off-shoot trails. This is true in large trail systems where there are few off-trail "features" (like rocks and outcroppings) bikers do stay on the designated trails. But, for avid riders these designated trails are uneventful, boring and often have right-of-way walkers and hikers that slow us down (IF, that is, we are considerate riders, which, sadly, many mountain bikers are not.). Instead, it is the hidden, undesignated areas with steep, limestone outcroppings, climbs and descents that we aggressively and carelessly seek out. From my 30 years experience of mountain biking throughout Vermont I have no idea how we can keep bikers off all of these features. The reality is that, 5 years down the line, once budgets run out and posted informational signs get old and faded, and people stop monitoring the trails, off-shoot trails will start popping up again. And we always forget what the original area looked like.
Today's mountain bikes are very different from the clunky old mountain bikes of just 15 years ago. Extremely strong and light, 100% full suspension frames, hydraulic front and rear disk brakes, front shocks, and enormous 29-inch radius wheels allow us to go ANYWHERE. And, Arms Park is within a 5-minute ride for thousands of avid mountain bikers. All Lady Slipper patches (that I have found) in Arms Forest currently have newer trails (from bikers) going through them. And over them. Contrary to what we are being told, designing designated trails in this particular forest will not stop this destructive behavior. Proper trail design and purposefully placed obstacles (signs, downed trees, rocks, bridges, branches, begging, etc.) will not divert mountain bikers away from seeking out these unique and abundant features in this particular park--simply because there are so many in such a small area. No matter what mountain biking groups and advocates may say, Arms Park is not a place to allow bikes. It is a highly unique and sensitive forest that is vastly different than other "designated" trail systems (https://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/news/2016/06/04/ladys-slipper-season-vermont/85361014/)...
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