The hut is on fire! Surprisingly, the draft bill for the new Hessian Forest Act was presented before the summer break. According to the DIMB, the restrictions it formulates for forest visitors - especially mountain bikers - are the most far-reaching in the whole of Germany to date.
If the bill goes through the state parliament, cycling would only be permitted without prior authorisation on fixed forest paths "that can be used all year round by off-road, two-lane motor vehicles". This would correspond to paths approximately three metres wide.
If several people want to enter the forest "in pursuit of a common purpose", they may only do so "if, according to the local circumstances, no impairment of the forest area concerned is to be expected". Furthermore, the hurdles for forest owners to be able to close forest areas to forest visitors are set low.
These far-reaching demands, bans and closures are poison for the common coexistence of all forest visitors. The Deutsche Initiative Mountainbike e.V. (DIMB) is committed to the interests of mountain bikers and wants to stop the law. To this end, the DIMB has now a preliminary opinion on the draft law published.
Per Online petition anyone can cast their vote in favour of the OpenTrails Hessen initiative. Further information is also available at Facebook.
Posters, flyers and signature lists for download, the draft law and much more information can be found here:
http://www.dimb.de/aktivitaeten/open-trails/gesetzesnovelle-in-hessen
Sebastian Brust
Editor
