BLM launches environmental assessment on e-bikes in The Crown; county to weigh local access and enforcement

The Bureau of Land Management’s Colorado River Valley Field Office has opened an environmental assessment to analyze authorizing Class 1 e‑bikes on trails now designated for mountain bikes in The Crown Special Recreation Management Area, a BLM recreation planner told the Pitkin County Board of County Commissioners at a May 20 work session.

BLM Recreation Planner Alan Sapinski told commissioners, “we will now be going into an environmental assessment project … to analyze adding e‑bikes to traditional mountain bike trails.” He said the EA will include alternatives that could exclude trails “based on resource concerns, public feedback and adjacent land managers,” and that the field office is coordinating with towns, counties and partner agencies as it develops a proposed action for public scoping.

The announcement follows a March 2024 survey of mountain bikers organized by local advocates and the BLM that attracted roughly 1,300 responses and showed a majority of respondents said they would like to use e‑bikes on BLM mechanized trails. Sapinski said the BLM is also running visitor‑use surveys this Memorial Day weekend on The Crown and at Hardscrabble to collect data on visitor experiences and to include an e‑bike question.

Why it matters: The Crown is managed as a focused recreation area under the field office resource management plan and is physically intertwined with Pitkin County Open Space parcels and trailheads. County staff said alignment matters because many users do not recognize property boundaries and enforcement and messaging are easier when management is coordinated.

What county and BLM said they will do: Pitkin County Open Space and Trails Director Gary Tenenbaum described ongoing coordination and said staff will help publicize the BLM scoping tool and surveys. Sapinski said the EA will evaluate where e‑bikes could be authorized and will identify resource concerns to inform alternatives. The BLM plans to publish the proposed action this fall/winter and accept scoping comments through ePlanning.

Concerns raised: Commissioners and local residents pressed the BLM on enforcement, trail user behavior and wildlife impacts. Commissioner Greg asked how managers would enforce the distinction between Class 1 e‑bikes (pedal‑assist) and higher‑speed models, saying, “If you open it to class when you're opening it to everybody is my concern. So that means speeds will increase and damage to terrain will probably increase as well in conflict.” Locals and some commissioners also asked whether expanded e‑bike access would increase trailhead congestion at Bullpen (Prince Creek), and whether seasonal closures intended to protect elk are adequate.

BLM response: Sapinski and county staff said the EA will include a wildlife impacts section and will review existing research on user behavior and speeds. They emphasized education at trailheads and partnership with law enforcement and rangers as the primary compliance tools; they also pointed to examples from other field offices (Moab, Grand Hogback) as precedents and sources of public comments that may inform alternatives.

Next steps: The BLM will collect scoping comments when the proposed action posts, continue visitor use surveys this summer, and further coordinate with Pitkin County. County staff said both the Open Space board and BOCC will be briefed again before any final BLM decision or before the county makes any change to how county open‑space trails adjacent to BLM would be managed.

Ending: The BLM and Pitkin County framed the current step as informational and evidence‑gathering; no county decision was sought at the meeting. The BLM reiterated that specific trail authorizations or restrictions would follow further analysis and public input.