Visitors to national parks and other public lands could soon see a new form of transportation on many trails: electric bicycles.
A new memo from the Department of Interior, which oversees the National Park Service and other federal lands, says that bicycles that include a motor that either propels the bicycle or assists a rider with pedaling up to 20 miles per hour should be allowed on trails or in areas where traditional bicycles are allowed.
Park superintendents have a month to create rules and guidance for the use of e-bikes in specific parks over the next month and can block use in certain areas to protect resources. "They make bicycle travel easier and more efficient, and they provide an option for people who want to ride a bicycle but might not otherwise do so because of physical fitness, age, disability, or convenience, especially at high altitudes or in hilly or strenuous terrain," he continued.
But the National Parks Conservation Association, a group that advocates for preservation of public lands, raised concern the policy skirted public input and doesn't consider the impact to other people on the trail.
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