# Human-Powered Travel in Wilderness Areas Act

This bill makes it easier for people to use bicycles, skis, and other human-powered equipment in designated wilderness areas on public lands. Currently, federal law bans most mechanized travel in wilderness areas, which means mountain bikes and similar vehicles are prohibited. This bill would change that by allowing people to use bicycles and other non-motorized, human-powered equipment in these protected spaces, as long as they're not causing damage to the land.

The main impact is that outdoor enthusiasts who enjoy mountain biking, cross-country skiing, and similar activities would gain access to more public lands for recreation. Right now, many wilderness areas are off-limits to these activities even though they don't produce emissions or require fuel like motorized vehicles do. The bill recognizes that human-powered travel is fundamentally different from motorized recreation and shouldn't be treated the same way. This could open up thousands of acres of scenic public land for people who want to enjoy nature through these activities.

The bill does include protections to make sure this expanded access doesn't harm the wilderness itself. Land managers would still have authority to restrict human-powered travel in specific areas if it's causing environmental damage or conflicting with other uses. This means sensitive ecosystems, fragile trails, or areas where conflicts with hikers or wildlife are occurring could still be protected from bike traffic. Essentially, the bill shifts the default from "no bikes allowed" to "bikes allowed unless there's a good reason to restrict them," giving outdoor recreationalists more opportunities while still protecting the land.

Human-Powered Travel in Wilderness Areas Act

Lee, Mike

Human-Powered Travel in Wilderness Areas Act This bill requires the Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior to authorize their respective local offices to determine all permissible forms of nonmotorized travel over routes within wilderness areas. Local offices must seek to accommodate all forms of nonmotorized travel to the maximum extent practicable. If a local office fails to make such a determination about a route within two years after this bill's enactment, then any form of nonmotorized travel shall be allowable on that route.