Opposition to allowing eBikes on non-motorized trails in the federal lands system has been voiced by dozens of conservation groups, who fear permitting the motorized bikes on those trails will create a "slippery slope" that will lead to future problems with managing those trails.

In a letter to the chief of the U.S. Forest Service, the acting director of the National Park Service, and the acting director of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the groups stated that they "oppose any effort that would allow any class of vehicle with a motor – including all classes of e-bikes, which by definition have a motor – to be allowed on non-motorized trails."

The issue came to light earlier this summer at Acadia National Park in Maine, where eBike users were told they could not ride on the Carriage Roads that wind through the park on Mount Desert Island. Fines for those caught on the roads start at $130, according to the park's website.

Discussion of that ban on National Parks Traveler spurred comments from many eBike users who said the bikes allow them to enjoy areas of parks that they normally couldn't walk to due to declining health.

"Apart from ebike commuters, I believe you will find ebikers to be an older, less fit demographic with some medical issues. We are not speed focused. Don't shut us out without at least a trial period," wrote DML.

In Traveler's weekly podcast, Kristen Brengel of the National Parks Conservation Association and Phil Francis of the Coalition to Protect America's National Parks voiced concern over allowing eBikes on non-motorized trails, and said the National Park Service needs to evaluate the issue carefully and fully and, if the decision is made to provide more access to the bikes beyond existing motorized routes, adopt strict regulations that outline where the various classes of eBikes are allowed to travel.

There are three "classes" of eBikes:

* Class 1: eBikes that are pedal-assist only, with no throttle, and have a maximum assisted speed of 20 mph.

* Class 2: eBikes that also have a maximum speed of 20 mph, but are throttle-assisted.

* Class 3: eBikes that are pedal-assist only, with no throttle, and a maximum assisted speed of 28 mph.

"Class 2 may not be suitable for singletrack mountainbike trails - it has been shown that they pose greater physical damage to trails due to the throttle-actuation," writes eBike manufacturer Bosch on its website. "Class 2 may be better suited for multi-use OHV trails designed for more rugged off-road vehicles.

"Class 3 eBikes are typically allowed on roads and on-road bike lanes (“curb to curb” infrastructure), but restricted from bike trails and multiuse paths. While a 20-mph maximum speed is achievable on a traditional bicycle, decision makers and agencies consider the greater top-assisted speed of a Class 3 eBike too fast for most bike paths and trails that are often shared with other trail users."

The conservation organizations, which range from the Addison Oaks Trail Riders to the Yankee Springs Trail Riders Association, say motorized vehicles should be kept separate from trails used by hikers and horseback riders.

"Non-motorized trails were created to ensure that the public could find recreational trail opportunities free from the ever-growing motorization and mechanization," reads the letter. "Millions of public land users including hikers, backpackers, hunters, horse packers, climbers, mountain bikers and many more, value non-motorized trails for recreation.  Opening non-motorized trails to motors would forever change the backcountry experience for these users. 

"We recognize that e-bikes have a place on public lands and generally should be allowed where motorized vehicles are permitted. The existing motorized trail system provides plentiful opportunities for e-bike use with tens of thousands of miles of trails currently open to their use."

There are groups organized to lobby for greater access for eBikes. PeopleforBikes strives to get more people across the country on bikes, and the growing popularity of eBikes hasn't been overlooked by this group. On their site are a number of papers discussing the benefits of eBikes. One even examines motorized mountain bikes and perceptions about them.

While the popularity of pedal-assist electric bikes (eBikes) generally is growing, electric-mountain bikes (eMTB) have not received a warm welcome by many within the mountain biking community. Anecdotally, a variety of concerns have been raised concerning eMTB use, including trail damage, trail confict, decreased trail access, and the perception that eMTB use is not “real” mountain biking or is “cheating.”

The outcome of that paper was that, "(T)hree predominant themes emerged: What is an eMTB?, Trails, and How should eMTBs be used? There was general confusion about the features and capabilities of eMTBs except by those who had previously used one. Commenters expressed concern over a variety of trail-related issues, including that eMTBs will damage trails similar to the way motorized vehicles do and that they could cause restricted access to some trail systems. There were inconsistent opinions on the use of eMTBs, where some comments saw riding mountain bikes as a 'rite of passage' and that using an eMTB was 'cheating.' There was some level of acknowledgement that eMTBs may be useful for promoting exercise, but this was mediated by the 'rite of passage' belief.'"

According to PeopleForBikes, there already are "more than 300,000 miles of singletrack, doubletrack, and natural surface roads accessible to motorized users."

In their letter of opposition, the conservation organizations wrote that allowing eBikes on non-motorized trails "is ill-advised and would undermine nearly a half century of management precedents and practices. First, allowing e-bikes on non-motorized trails would be un-manageable and send agencies down a slippery slope towards allowing further motorization of trails and potentially the entire backcountry. Federal land managers simply do not have the resources to police e-bikes on trails."  

"Second, permitting e-bikes on non-motorized trails is contrary to long-standing 'travel management' laws and policies dating back to the Nixon administration that require all motorized recreational uses of our public lands to be confined to a system of designated roads, trails, and areas. Among other requirements, motorized trails must be located to minimize conflicts with other recreational uses of the public lands, as well as damage to soil, water, and other public land resources and harassment of wildlife."

Currently, the groups concluded, there are multiple opportunities for users to enjoy both motorized and non-motorized opportunities on public lands. However, they added, "(O)pening non-motorized trails to motorized bikes would effectively eliminate the non-motorized, primitive recreational opportunities."

Here's the list of those groups that signed the letter:

Addison Oaks Trail Riders

Allegan County Pleasure Riders

American Endurance Ride Conference

American Hiking Society

American Flyers

Appalachian Trail Conservancy

Back Country Horsemen of America (and the 30 BCH states and 196 chapters, full listing at end)

Bay Area Barns and Trails

Blue Ridge Horsemen's Association

Brighton Trail Riders Association

Canalway Partners-Board Member

Carolina Mountain Club

Colorado Mountain Club

Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Trail Assoc, Inc.

Conserving Carolina

Continental Divide Trail Coalition

County Line Riders of Catalina, Inc

Dallas Off Road Bicycle Association (DORBA)

East Mountain Regional Trails Council

Fort Custer Horse Friends Association

Grand Valley Trails Alliance

Greater Yellowstone Coalition

Highlands Plateau Greenway

Ice Age Trail Alliance

Idaho Trails Association

Indiana Trails Community

Ionia Horse Trails Association

Kensington Trail Riders

Maybury Trail Riders

Michigan Horse Council

Michigan Trail Riders Association

Montana Wilderness Association

Montana Backcountry Alliance

National Parks Conservation Association

Natural Resources Council of Maine

Nickel Plate Trail, Inc

North Carolina Horse Council

North Country Trail Association Incorporated

Oregon Equestrian Trails

Oregon Horse Council

Overmountain Victory Trail Association

Pacific Crest Trail Association

Partnership for the National Trails System

Pinckney Trail Riders Association

Pisgah Trailblazers

Pontiac Lake Horseman’s Association

Proud Lake Trail Riders

Quiet Trails Group

Rose Oaks Equine Adventurers

San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council

Tri-County Horse Association

The Wilderness Society

Winter Wildlands Alliance

Yankee Springs Trail Riders Association