U.S. Representative Rick Boucher (D-VA) and U.S. Senator John Warner (R-VA) have introduced a bill, the Virginia Ridge and Valley Act of 2005 (S. 942/H.R. 1975).

Please help IMBA reach out to U.S. Senator George Allen (R-VA) by asking him to co-sponsor the bill. With Senator Allen's support, it has a good chance of becoming law.

Working closely with the Virginia Wilderness Committee (VWC), IMBA has forged an innovative bike-friendly agreement that will protect parts of the Jefferson National Forest in southern Virginia as Wilderness.

Wilderness designations ban bicycle access and, traditionally, are problematic for mountain bike advocates. The Virginia bill could become an important model for other states. It's endorsed by more than 100 organizations, including dozens of businesses, local government officials, Virginia Wilderness Committee, Virginia Audubon Council, the Virginia Tourism Corporation and local mountain biking clubs.

"This Wilderness legislation is the product of years of work," said Mark Miller with the Virginia Wilderness Committee and the Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition. "The agreement between mountain bikers and VWC provides a framework for future cooperative efforts. We must all work together to help the Virginia delegation get this bill passed."

Here is IMBA's online Comment Form.

About IMBA: The International Mountain Bicycling Association is non-profit educational association whose mission is to create, enhance and preserve trail opportunities for mountain bikers worldwide.
Since 1988, IMBA has been bringing out the best in mountain biking by encouraging low-impact riding, volunteer trailwork participation, cooperation among different trail user groups, grassroots advocacy and innovative trail management solutions.
IMBA's worldwide network includes 32,000 individual members, more than 450 bicycle clubs, more than 130 corporate partners and about 200 bicycle retailers. IMBA's members live in all 50 U.S. states, most Canadian provinces and in 30 other countries.
IMBA's headquarters are located in Boulder, Colorado, at the base of the Rocky Mountains.