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Residents urge halt to Gans Creek mountain bike trail construction, cite erosion and trail‑building methods
Summary
Multiple residents urged Columbia officials to stop a trail construction effort in the Gans Creek Recreation Area, saying heavy machinery is producing a roadway‑scale trail bed (7–12 feet wide) that will cause erosion, harm habitat and be unsafe for some users.
Several residents spoke during general comments to warn city officials and the public about trail construction in the Gans Creek Recreation Area.
Christine Doer said she visited the site and found machinery creating a wide, road‑like bed rather than a narrow single‑track trail. She measured parts of the completed trailbed at up to 7–12 feet wide and said soil was being cut into a near‑90‑degree bank and pushed into streamside areas, risking erosion and damage to plants that stabilize the slope. Doer urged an immediate stop to the work and said she planned to return to the site with her car to document the finished width.
Another resident, Suteu Forte, said a recent community town hall drew broad participation (parks and rec staff, trail builders, bicycle clubs, environmental groups and media) and asked the council to halt further work and schedule a second town hall in the forest after weather conditions permit more on‑site review. They argued that the current machine width and resulting bed will take years to recover and will harm wildlife and fish through increased runoff.
A Ward 6 resident, Brian Johnstone, also expressed conservation and safety concerns and said mountain biking can be hazardous; he questioned who the trail is intended to serve and whether the city had plans to manage safety and signage. Speakers asked the city to bring trail builders, ecological experts and affected community members together before more damage occurs.
No formal council action: the public comments were recorded; council did not take a formal vote or direct immediate enforcement action at the meeting. Staff follow‑up or a second public forum was suggested by attendees.
