BLM asks for public comments about e-bikes on Moab biking trails

SALT LAKE CITY — On June 30, the Bureau of Land Management’s Moab Field Office opened a public comment period regarding the use of Class 1 e-bikes on some Moab biking trails. 

Members of the public can share their thoughts through the BLM ePlanning portal until July 30. Documents relating to the project can also be found there. 

A project description explained that there are currently only two Moab biking trails that currently allow e-bike use. They only provide 1.4 miles of riding on a singletrack trail, although an additional 9.8-mile trail permitting Class 1 e-bikes is planned to open in Fall 2026. 

“The only other opportunity for e-bikes in the immediate Moab area is the Intrepid Trail System at Dead Horse Point State Park, located 32 miles northwest of Moab,” the project description read. 

A Class 1 e-bike is defined by the BLM as a bicycle that has a motor that helps a rider, but only when they are actively pedaling it. They stop providing help when the bike exceeds 20 miles per hour. 

Additionally, to classify as an e-bike, a bicycle’s motor can only produce one horsepower, or 750 watts of energy. They may have two or three wheels, but they are required to have fully functioning pedals. 

In contrast, the motors on Class 2 and Class 3 e-bikes are not engaged by pedaling. Class 2 e-bike motors stop working when the machine reaches 20 miles per hour, while Class 3 e-bike motors stop providing assistance when a bicycle reaches 28 miles per hour, according to the BLM. 

The Moab Field Office manages 12 trail systems of mountain bike trails, equaling 197 miles of rideable area. 

If the proposal gets the green light, e-bike access could be extended to 16 area trails, which are listed in the BLM project description. 

Previous comments overall supported e-bikes on Moab biking trails

Previously, a public scoping period opened in Oct. 2024. The BLM said it received 1,506 comments. Per a scoping period summary, 420 of the comments were a form letter developed by “one interest group.” 542 of them were “considered substantive,” or considered to have more depth than others. 

The BLM said 447 of the substantive comments supported allowing e-bikes on Moab biking trails. 83 opposed and 12 were neutral. 

Supporters of expanded e-bike access mentioned an increased capacity for older people and those with disabilities or injuries to have more access to the trail. Opponents voiced concern about trail damage and a lack of research on the impact of e-bikes on trails. 

Currently, the BLM’s Moab Field Office requires all bikes to remain on designated trails. No changes to that rule are proposed in the BLM’s plan to allow increased e-bike access. 

Public comments, environmental assessments required under NEPA

The BLM is asking for public comments as it prepares an environmental assessment, which could provide further insight into the impacts e-bikes may have on Moab area trails and the ecosystems that surround them. 

In Oct. 2024, Anna Rehkopf, the public affairs specialist for the BLM’s Canyon County District, told KSL NewsRadio that public comments are used to identify issues that should be explored. When Rehkopf spoke with KSL, the BLM was gathering comments about e-bikes on Moab biking trails for the first time. 

Environmental assessments and public comment periods are required under the National Environmental Policy Act any time a federal organization wants to implement policy changes or new projects.

According to the National Preservation Institute, environmental analyses are “supposed to be ‘brief but thorough.'” 

Per the Environmental Protection Agency, agencies have to allow public comment periods when they’re beginning an analysis or when any NEPA-related documents are published. 

It is unknown when the BLM plans to complete or publish an environmental assessment to allow e-bikes on more Moab biking trails.