//Plans for mountain bike trails in Virginia Beach state park are canceled

Plans for mountain bike trails in Virginia Beach state park are canceled

Plans for mountain bike trails in Virginia Beach state park are canceled

Mountain bike trails proposed for First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach are being reconsidered after an environmental impact study concluded bikes are harmful to the park’s unique landscape. “It’s going to take more conversation and more work,” Sen. Bill DeSteph told the Virginia-Pilot. 

The study found that cyclists have already harmed the landscape at First Landing State Park by creating “ghost” trails that have eroded the soil and by using chainsaws to cut down trees that blocked the unofficial path. “Once roots are exposed and subjected to repeated stresses from bike tires or foot traffic, it becomes only a matter of time before tree mortality results, stabilization of the dune is compromised, and forest integrity is degraded,” the study said. 

200 acres of SC wetlands to be filled by Charleston-area developer

South Carolina’s environmental agency has granted