Challenges
Possible solutions are to further uncover and emphasize the ways the land is valuable as a natural area and qualify it for formal means of protection while at the same time make connections to trail advocacy groups and individuals. In short, the more people are invested in the trails in their current form, and the more diverse the connections are (Asset to: town, community members, ecological advocates, VMBA, NEMBA, land trusts, NPOs, race organizers, landowners, regional tourism, etc.) , the more protected they become.
2. Building high quality, well known trails is the goal of any public trail system, but if you’re successful this will inevitably lead to a dramatic increase in the miles people will drive to visit them leaving the trails at least partially responsible for the associated increase in carbon dioxide emissions.
First, as already mentioned, one of the ways to mitigate this is through the fact that there is no physical reason that high quality trails can’t be built practically anywhere in any terrain. So to the degree that the trails are responsible for inspiring the development of trails in a different locality, they help mitigate some of that excess carbon for all the reasons outlined above, though this is difficult to quantify.
Second, another strategy for mitigation is to promote the quality of trails we have in the region and in Vermont as a whole increasing the likelihood that visitors are making multiday trips giving them an opportunity to be efficient with their miles. A corrolary to this is to point out the recent inclusion of bikes on the Vermont Amtrak line and the number of trail systems that are easily accessible from train stations.
Third is to highlight the Velomont Trail upon its completion. As it is inevitable (and an honor) that people choose Vermont as a mountain bike destination, the option to spend a multiday, multi system vacation under their own power, in addition to being a fantastic adventure, goes even further to reduce their carbon emissions.
Fourth, insomuch as Vermont’s trails become just as or even more desirable as a destination than points farther afield, like Colorado or Utah, from visitors in the Northeast US, they become responsible for a net reduction in carbon compared to what would be emitted otherwise. Again, this is hard to quantify without documented study, but in theory this would be the likely trend.
3. Not everyone in the trail community may buy into carbon mitigation as a viable goal for the trail system. By necessity, survival of the species makes jumping on the carbon reduction bandwagon inevitable and, optimistically, imminent. But until then, even disregarding climate change, each proposed action can be justified as a good in itself and will contribute to the well being of the trail system, its ecology and its users with no compromises and no significant sacrifices to speak of.
- The imperative to justify one’s existence on economic grounds presents challenges. Merely its recognition helps validate in what this case may be an inappropriate measure. It sets a dangerous precedent. For instance if the trail system would bring in more money as a clear cutting logging company, there’s always a danger that it will become such as a consequence of short term economic reasoning.
Possible solutions are to further uncover and emphasize the ways the land is valuable as a natural area and qualify it for formal means of protection while at the same time make connections to trail advocacy groups and individuals. In short, the more people are invested in the trails in their current form, and the more diverse the connections are (Asset to: town, community members, ecological advocates, VMBA, NEMBA, land trusts, NPOs, race organizers, landowners, regional tourism, etc.) , the more protected they become.
2. Building high quality, well known trails is the goal of any public trail system, but if you’re successful this will inevitably lead to a dramatic increase in the miles people will drive to visit them leaving the trails at least partially responsible for the associated increase in carbon dioxide emissions.
First, as already mentioned, one of the ways to mitigate this is through the fact that there is no physical reason that high quality trails can’t be built practically anywhere in any terrain. So to the degree that the trails are responsible for inspiring the development of trails in a different locality, they help mitigate some of that excess carbon for all the reasons outlined above, though this is difficult to quantify.
Second, another strategy for mitigation is to promote the quality of trails we have in the region and in Vermont as a whole increasing the likelihood that visitors are making multiday trips giving them an opportunity to be efficient with their miles. A corrolary to this is to point out the recent inclusion of bikes on the Vermont Amtrak line and the number of trail systems that are easily accessible from train stations.
Third is to highlight the Velomont Trail upon its completion. As it is inevitable (and an honor) that people choose Vermont as a mountain bike destination, the option to spend a multiday, multi system vacation under their own power, in addition to being a fantastic adventure, goes even further to reduce their carbon emissions.
Fourth, insomuch as Vermont’s trails become just as or even more desirable as a destination than points farther afield, like Colorado or Utah, from visitors in the Northeast US, they become responsible for a net reduction in carbon compared to what would be emitted otherwise. Again, this is hard to quantify without documented study, but in theory this would be the likely trend.
3. Not everyone in the trail community may buy into carbon mitigation as a viable goal for the trail system. By necessity, survival of the species makes jumping on the carbon reduction bandwagon inevitable and, optimistically, imminent. But until then, even disregarding climate change, each proposed action can be justified as a good in itself and will contribute to the well being of the trail system, its ecology and its users with no compromises and no significant sacrifices to speak of.