IMBA Launches National Leadership Fund In D.C.

BOULDER, CO—For years, the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA) has championed mountain bike advocacy from a grassroots level. It is now taking big steps to boost its presence in Washington D.C.

To increase mountain biking's clout at the federal level, IMBA created its National Leadership Fund.

The fund will be used by IMBA to strengthen its ties to the federal agencies that control most of the land where mountain bikers ride, including the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), National Parks Service and U.S. Forest Service.

"We are working off our recent victories to springboard into a national plan for mountain biking that will promote and manage mountain bike trails on national land," said Peter Webber, IMBA's membership and communications director.

To build support for the fund, IMBA in April mailed letters to all its members outlining what the fund is and its goals. The letter included a request for donations. IMBA officials said they hope to garner $25,000 from the mailing.

"Mailings are generally very profitable for us and we clear a tremendous return," Webber said.

"People who support IMBA are enthusiastic about the work we do and they support us when they think the money will be well spent. And we have a good track record of doing that," he added.

Officials at IMBA are planning to make the mailing an annual event in the hope of increasing the organization's budget, allowing it to lobby more effectively in Washington.

But even on its small budget, IMBA has tasted some recent success in our nation's capitol.

In January, last minute heroics by IMBA officials saved a near-fatal collision between mountain bikers and the BLM. Organization leaders realized then that they needed to increase IMBA's presence in Washington D.C.

At the time, the BLM was about to classify mountain bikes with motorized vehicles in future land-use planning, which could have severely limited trail access. IMBA officials urged its members to write to the BLM and oppose the plan. Tim Blumenthal, IMBA's executive director, worked directly with BLM officials.

IMBA officials also worked in Washington last year to forge a Memorandum of Understanding with the Forest Service, which established ways for the groups to work together.

A large part of the fund will be devoted to building relationships with the National Parks Service, an agency mountain bikers have made little headway with.