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(AP) - The Bush administration plans to make it
easier for mountain bikers to gain access to national parks and
other public lands before the president - an avid cyclist himself -
leaves office.

      The National Park Service confirmed Tuesday that it is preparing
a rule that will allow decisions about some mountain bike trails to
be made by park managers instead of federal regulators in
Washington, a process that can take years.

      A park service spokesman said the rule would be proposed no
later than Nov. 15 so it could be final before Bush leaves office.
If adopted, the proposal would likely result in more mountain
biking opportunities on public lands.

      Currently, the Park Service has to adopt a special regulation to
open up trails to mountain bikes, which requires the public to be
formally notified. The same process is required for all-terrain
vehicles and other motorized recreation on park lands.

      "We are trying to give superintendents a little bit of latitude
especially for non-controversial proposals for bicycling in
parks," said Jeffrey Olson, a spokesman for the service. "We are
responding to public demand."

      Environmental advocate Jeff Ruch called the rule a lame-duck
gift for the mountain biking lobby from the
"Mountain-Biker-in-Chief," referring to Bush.

      Ruch, executive director of the Public Employees for
Environmental Responsibility, said the proposal would open up
backcountry trails to mountain bikers. 

Mountain bikers are blamed
for erosion of trails and trampling native plants. They also
disturb other park users, such as hikers, birders and horseback
riders.

      During his tenure as president, Bush has embraced mountain
biking as a low-impact alternative to running, which is hard on his
knees. 

The president - who has a blue and white Trek bicycle dubbed
Mountain Bike One - often rides on his ranch in Crawford, Tex. and
in the Washington, D.C. area. He also has received several mountain
bikes from companies like Cannondale and Trek.


      The International Mountain Biking Association, which is
supported by some of the same companies that gave Bush bikes, said
Tuesday it didn't believe the timing of the rule had anything to do
with the president's penchant for pedaling.


      "It is extraneous to this (rule) that the president has
interest in mountain biking. I don't think that has been an
influencer in this case," said Mark Eller, communications director
for the group, which has been lobbying to change the rules since
the early 1990s.


      About 30 properties managed by the National Park Service include
trails approved for mountain bikes now, he said.

      A calendar for Lyle Laverty, the Interior Department's Assistant
Secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks also shows that the mountain
bike rule is one the administration's remaining priorities.


      In April 2006, after a 65-minute ride through Napa County wine
country on Earth Day, the president told an AP reporter: "We're
able to enjoy the beauty without really disrupting pristine nature
of the place. It's a classic way for mankind to enjoy God's gift."

Gallery

The Bush administration plans to make it
easier for mountain bikers to gain access to national parks and
other public lands before the president - an avid cyclist himself -
leaves office.

Bush to help open national parks to mountain bikes

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