Class 1 Electric bikes are a constantly growing category of the bicycle industry. As Oregon, the NFS, and many other states evaluates Class 1 emtb's and allow them in more and more places, it's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when. Choosing to be on the side of when sooner than later will only encourage people to find more value of the trail areas they have locally, encouraging them to be more active and participant in maintaining and caring for those spaces.

I am in favor of allowing pedal assist e-bike on the Mac Forest trails. It should be make clear that pedal assist e- bikes only.

Committee Members: Re: Red Tree Voles - Katie Moriarty of NCASI supplied a link to a graduate thesis by Jason T. Piasecki titled ""Red Tree Voles in Fragmented Forests"":
The following quotation is from the Abstract.
"The probability of tree vole nest persistence was highest 0.98 (95% CI 0.81, 0.99) in old forests where nests were more cryptic and often associated with stable microsites (e.g., cavities). Persistence was lower 0.90 (95% CI 0.79, 0.95) and more variable in young forest and was positively correlated to nest volume... I did not detect any recently occupied tree vole nests more than 1,649m from the nearest patch of old forest.... I recorded interspecific tree vole nest use by other arboreal species at a higher frequency in young forest than in old forest suggesting possible competition for nesting space in young forests."
Jason concluded that ""young stands within 1,425m of old forest patches contributed to tree vole occupancy and modest levels of tree vole nest density. Given the results of my research, I conclude that young forest can augment, expand, and/or connect habitat for red tree voles in the Oregon Coast Range."" Here, the word ""connect"" is essential. Although tree voles can occupy young stands, the chances of persistence are greater in old forest. In order for tree vole populations to adapt to changing climate conditions by exchanging genetics, corridors maintaining canopy connection should be plotted through younger forest between adjacent older stands, and special consideration should be given to managing for nest substrates in younger forests.
Reed Wilson

I have been an avid trail runner, hiker, and mountain biker in the McDonald and Dunn forests for many years. I am opposed to the use of e-bikes in the forest. In the past year I have personally seen e-bikes in the Mac/Dunn forest on several occasions. I'm sure it is difficult to enforce the current rules. What has happened as a result of the e-bikes and an increase in mountain biking overall is an increase to the damage to the trail surfaces, even during dry periods. Many of the trails, especially the steeper trails, the tread surface has loosened as a result of bike wheels sliding downhill. This has made them slick to navigate both up and down while hiking/running. The use of e-bikes has and will further exaggerate this damage as it will take less effort and will be less time consuming to make multiple runs.
Additionally, e-biking has added to negative trail interactions between hikers/runners and bikers. Full head helmets and screaming downhill speed combined with the ability to make many runs each trip has already contributed to scary trail interactions and this will get worse if restrictions are lifted. If enforcing current restrictions is difficult, creating and enforcing a set of complex rules that restrict e-bike power levels and styles will be impossible. Those challenges essentially mean that reduced restrictions to e-bikes is the same as allowing the use of motorcycles on the trails (just quieter ones that can sneak up on unsuspecting wildlife and people at breakneck speeds)
The Mac/Dunn Forest is my favorite resource in Corvallis. Thank you for making this resource available to all of us. And please keep it a peaceful, happy place for people and wildlife by maintaining restrictions on motorized bikes. If you have any questions or want people to participate in public forums on this topic, I'd be happy to help. Kind regards, Colleen Llewellyn

I think you should allow ebikes onto the roads but not the trails. The roads are wide enough.

Anywhere regular mountain bikes are allowed e-bikes should also be allowed. There is no physical difference in what possible damage is created between the two types of bikes. The controversy came when elitist mountain bikers started pushing through bans with their noses in the air. There are all sorts of ways people enjoy themselves. As 50 plus persons my wife and I tread extremely lightly with our e-bikes but it's the only way we could get out and enjoy a place like this. Thank you

I would prefer that e-bikes be allowed in Mac Dunn. I ride both conventional and e- mountain bikes, and a I get older, the e- bike allows me to access trails, inclines and distance I could not otherwise. The e- bike does not make noise louder than my conventional bike, nor does it allow speed different from what I can do conventionally. I am not aware of how the e-bike would impact anyone other than the rider differently than a standard bike and it improves access for a demographic that might not otherwise be able to enjoy the trail system. For these reasons, I'd ask that the prohibition of e-bikes be lifted. Thanks.

I live very close to mac forest. I have a fat tire eBike that I ride all over town and also through the bald hill area. I observe your guidelines and have never ridden my ebike in mac forest.
But for decades my son and I have ridden our mountain bikes all over mac. We love the Forest! Actually mostly I hike there. But I would love to ride my ebike through mac, even if you told me to stay on the roads, and off the trails. I could take the road all the way up to dimple hill! Please allow eBike use in mac forest! Surely they are closer to mtn. Bikes than to your trucks that go through there for governance and maintenance. I know it is a research forest and revenue generator. But when the state granted OSU governance of the mac, it was partly due to the proximity to residences, and recreational use must be anticipated as part of the governance policy.
Thanks for the chance to provide input.

Just say no to e-bikes on forest trails! If the average rider is not responsible on the pavement, they certainly aren't going to be responsible on trails. Speed limits won't be observed. Designated areas won't be observed. Pedestrian and animal safety won't be observed. And why bother spend time in the forest if you're just going to zip through at 25 miles an hour?

I live on Oak Creek Drive not far from the gate. Currently, the traffic is along the lines of that expected of a 30- dwelling housing development on a daily basis, more on nice weekends.
There are no shoulders on much of the road beyond the junction with Cardwell Hill. The sight lines are poor, especially near our driveway. We understand that recreation is an important use, but we also find it is nearly impossible to safely walk or bicycle on our road on weekends and late afternoons when traffic is heavy. *This is our neighborhood.* Although most forest users are considerate, even 20 mph feels very fast if a car passes you so closely you could reach out and touch it. That's not uncommon because the road is so narrow and there is no way to step off the pavement in many areas. We urge the college to carefully consider how more access can be created across a variety of trailheads to prevent any one neighborhood from having to bear the brunt of the negative effects of the increased traffic, which is a major safety issue as well as a significant livability issue (the traffic noise can be considerable, we never encounter our neighbors anymore, and I've peeled dozens of dead wild animals off the pavement over the past decade). I'm not interested in becoming literal road kill for other peoples' enjoyment, but I also expect to be able to safely walk my dogs near my home or use my bicycle for transportation to town (which it is, on a daily basis). 

-I really don't think motorcycles (aka electric motor bikes) should be allowed in the forest.
-I don't see the harm in unauthorized trails, as long as they are not in active research areas. When compared to the aftermath of any logging operation, not to mention a clear cut, it is hard to see how an argument can be made that the thin line of dirt damages the forest resource.
-Instead of wasteful and risky burning of slash piles, why not issue user permits a few days a year to allow the local community to take the slash waste and use it for heating homes???
-Finally, parking at Oak Creek should be expanded. This is the best place to access the sanctioned MTB trails. At other trail heads, the best "use" trails have been systematically obliterated.