Bill Text: CA ACR152 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: California Mountain Biking Month.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced) 2024-03-04 - Referred to Com. on RLS. [ACR152 Detail]
Download: California-2023-ACR152-Introduced.html
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Concurrent Resolution
No. 152
| Introduced by Assembly Member Connolly (Coauthor: Senator Jones) |
February 28, 2024 |
Relative to California Mountain Biking Month.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
ACR 152, as introduced, Connolly.
California Mountain Biking Month.
This measure would proclaim June 2024 as California Mountain Biking Month.
Digest Key
Fiscal Committee: NOBill Text
WHEREAS, Mountain biking, in its many forms, including trail riding, dirt jumping, BMX, cyclocross, downhill, enduro, gravel riding, bikepacking, freeride, and other related off-road cycling activities, takes place on natural surface trails, unpaved roads, and purpose-built bike park facilities throughout California’s public lands and open spaces using bicycles designed for off-road use; and
WHEREAS, California is widely recognized as the birthplace of mountain biking, with its roots in the County of Marin in the late 1970s, which is now the home of the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame; and
WHEREAS, Mountain biking clubs and organizations throughout California contribute millions of dollars’ worth of volunteer hours, technical expertise, and manual labor to steward and maintain our parks and natural surface trails for the benefit of all trail users and federal, state, and local land management agencies throughout the state; and
WHEREAS, Mountain biking is a health-promoting activity that provides numerous health and wellness benefits, including cardiovascular exercise, weight loss, fitness, and strength and endurance building; and
WHEREAS, Mountain biking provides numerous mental health benefits, reductions in stress, social bonding through shared experiences, and community building, all while connecting with nature; and
WHEREAS, In 1988, five California mountain biking organizations came together to form the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA), which was the first national and international mountain biking organization; and
WHEREAS, The IMBA went on to develop and refine sustainable trail design principles and standards that have since been adopted worldwide, including in the United States by numerous federal, state, and local land management agencies; and
WHEREAS, Five California mountain biking organizations formed the nation’s first 501(c)(4) organization to advocate for mountain biking-friendly legislation, the California Mountain Biking Coalition, which is sponsoring this resolution; and
WHEREAS, California’s mountain biking industry contributes over $2.3 billion in spending to the state’s economy annually and creates over 17,000 jobs. It generated over $153,000,000 in state and local taxes in 2017 and has grown significantly since then, making mountain biking tourism a potential driver of economic revitalization for rural communities, especially those needing economic recovery after natural disasters and ongoing reductions in extractive land uses; and
WHEREAS, Interscholastic mountain biking originated as a high school sport in California in the mid-2000s and has spread across the nation to become the fastest growing high school activity nationally over the past decade, providing opportunities for youth development, healthy physical activity, connection with nature and our public lands, friendly competition, and building independence, self-reliance, teamwork, confidence, and a reduced time spent on electronic devices among our youth; and
WHEREAS, Mountain biking will be included as an Olympic event in the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics with the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument as the backdrop; and
WHEREAS, Trails, fire roads, and mountain biking activities can, if planned for and designed to, connect and serve communities and provide alternative transportation routes that are free of vehicles and surrounded by nature; and
WHEREAS, Over 1,000,000 Californians are estimated to have participated in mountain biking activities in 2021; and
WHEREAS, Improved mountain bike technology and recent advances in, and the availability of, electric pedal-assist mountain bikes and adaptive bikes are making mountain biking more accessible for people of all ages, fitness levels, abilities, and disabilities; and
WHEREAS, The availability of smartphone-based navigation has made mountain bike trails more accessible and easier to navigate than ever before; and
WHEREAS, California is home to iconic mountain biking destinations across its vast public lands and open spaces and many commercial mountain biking resorts in our mountain ranges, which provide world-class mountain biking opportunities that encourage tourism and contribute to economic revitalization; and
WHEREAS, Designating a California Mountain Biking Month, following the League of American Bicyclists’ already well-publicized National Bike Month in May, will promote participation in off-road cycling and mountain biking as a form of healthy outdoor recreation, encourage people to connect with and experience their public lands and natural settings, increase diversity of the mountain biking community, encourage increased stewardship of trails, and celebrate California’s significant mountain biking culture, history, and incredible destinations; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby designates the month of June 2024 as California Mountain Biking Month; and be it further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.
