For Immediate Release
April 27, 2005

Contact Information

LARAMIE – Biodiversity Conservation Alliance today applauded the Forest Service for its decision to turn an old railroad bed in the Medicine Bow Mountains into a year-round nonmotorized recreation trail. The trail would run from near Lake Owen over the divide and end at the Colorado border, and would be open to mountain biking, horseback riding, hiking, snowshoeing, and skiing. The railroad originally was built in the early 1900s, but has been abandoned and the rails have been removed.

“The Rails to Trails project is an outstanding example of how the Forest Service can enhance recreation opportunities without major impacts to forests and wildlife,” said Erik Molvar of Biodiversity Conservation Alliance. “By taking advantage of an existing travel corridor, the Forest Service has managed to accommodate increased recreation with a minimum of additional forest fragmentation and disturbance to sensitive wildlife.”

The Forest Service concluded that motorized use of the railroad bed would be unsafe and would damage its historic attributes. Independent surveys indicated that a majority of local citizens preferred non-motorized use for the historic railbed, rather than opening it up to motorized vehicles.

“The Rails to Trails project provides a good model for handling motorized recreation on the Medicine Bow as well,” added Molvar. “There is a huge network of unused roads in the Medicine Bow that could be converted to ATV trails without increasing impacts to the forest.”

The management of portions of the railbed that pass across private lands remains unresolved at this point.

Erik Molvar, Biodiversity Conservation Alliance, (307) 742-7978