According to the , the United States Forest Service is pushing to pass new rules that would keep mountain bikers off of hundreds of miles of trails across the nation. Lighter mountain bikes built over recent years have allowed bikers to use more and more wilderness trails. Mountain bikes have been accused of causing damaging erosion to trails and polluting water sources, an accusation many bikers say is no more true for them than it is for hikers or horseback riders. New laws could affect trails in the Gallatin National Forest, The Bitterroot National Forest, the Kootenai National Forest and Idaho's Clearwater National Forest.
–Alison Kelman