Mountain bikers harm preserves’ ecosystems

Dear Editor:

The egregious photo of a mountain biker riding down a trail in Ferncliff Forest Preserve in Rhinebeck last Wednesday exemplifies and underlines the outrageous abuses and ecological insults to New York state green spaces, whereby millions upon millions of people, bikers, hikers, dog walkers, campers and outdoor enthusiasts of all kinds are degrading and destroying vulnerable ecosystems and wildlife habitats through the profit and outdoor recreation-oriented policies of DEC, DEP and local land conservancies.

Mountain bikers, along with motorized ATVs and snowmobilers, with their huge dirt-grabbing tires and treads, rip up forest leaf litter, topsoil, gravel and underbrush that are ecological niches for endangered forest wildflowers, ferns, rare plants, lichens and mosses.

In Ulster County alone, there are over 84 endangered, threatened or environmentally “vulnerable” wildflower species, according to the New York Natural Heritage 2019 Rare Plant Status List.

Mountain bikers also disturb nesting habitats of migratory and resident birds. Bikers scare away all animals that live in the forest. Mountain bikers erode and compact trails, accelerating mountain slope deterioration and more ecological disruption.

The large treads of mountain bike tires also transport the seeds of invasive plants to other parts of the forest, like Japanese barberry, Japanese stilt grass and poison ivy, which are overrunning New York state parks and campgrounds.

The photo of a mountain biker only serves to encourage more irresponsible people to invade our dwindling wild spaces, further stressing our disappearing biodiversity all across the state. Forest preserves like Ferncliff (the term is an oxymoron in itself) do not protect our dwindling forest spaces, but only intensify the human boot-print on the remaining pristine green spaces still left in the Hudson Valley.

Victor C. Capelli

Town of Ulster