| 04/07/2005 | Mountain bikers converge in the U.S. capital today for the newest 24-hour event: IMBA's 24 Hours of Washington, D.C.
Attendees will spend the entire day on Capitol Hill, meeting with their U.S. representatives, senators and staff to introduce IMBA and key mountain biking issues. The goal is simple: raise awareness about trail access and recreation issues and convince government officials that mountain biking deserves their support.
The group's highest priority is to encourage lawmakers to support the Recreational Trails Program - a small but important program in the massive six-year transportation bill now working its way through Congress. The Recreational Trails Program, which returns federal gasoline taxes paid for nonhighway recreation uses to state trail programs, has helped communities build and repair thousands of miles of trails involving 7,650 projects in all 50 states.
The House has already approved a transportation bill that funds the Recreational Trails Program at $503 million over six years, however the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee's version of the bill slashes the program to $270 million over five years. For a state like California, the Senate bill cuts trail funding by $12 million.
"Today is critical for mountain biking," said IMBA executive director Mike Van Abel. "No federal grant program is more important to mountain biking's future than the Recreational Trails Program. We need lawmakers to get behind the House funding for the program at $503 million and support trails."
The 24 Hours of D.C. builds on IMBA's increased activity and leadership in the U.S. capital - the place where many key trail management decisions are made. In 2004, mountain bikers held more than 140 face-to-face meetings with government leaders during the biannual IMBA Summit.
24 Hours of D.C participants include many of IMBA's field reps, club leaders, bicycle industry members, journalists, and representatives of other cycling groups. www.imba.org
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