Published February 15, 2010 10:18AM
By Singletrack.com
The effort by mountain bikers in Idaho to establish a special license plate that would generate funds for trail building took a step forward last week.
On Feb. 12, lawmakers who sit on the Transportation Committee in Idaho’s State House moved a bill to create a special “mountain biking” license plate. The plates would create a revenue stream for the Idaho State Parks and Recreation Department to use for trail creation and maintenance.
According to the Spokesman-Review newspaper, the committee voted near-unanimously to send the bill, HB 486, to the full House.
The idea was started by Geoff Baker, a Boise resident, avid mountain biker and a board member of the Southwest Idaho Mountain Biking Association. With the assistance of a lobbyist working pro-bono, Baker has enlisted the support of Idaho state Rep. Brian Cronin to sponsor the proposal.
If approved, the special license plates would create a revenue stream so trail groups could apply for funds for trail work. By law, the funds would be permitted only for trails that are open to mountain biking but not restricted to just cycling, according to Baker’s blog. That means equestrians, hikers, dog walkers, runners and off-highway vehicles would benefit.
As with other special purpose plates in Idaho, motorists pay an extra fee for the plates: $25 from the original purchase and $15 from each renewal will go into a state fund earmarked for trail creation and maintenance.
Check out more about mountain biking in and around Boise, Idaho.