Trail Forks and Merges: Exploring Social Impacts from Recreational Mountain Biking in Northern Forest Communities
Nation-wide, mountain biking is growing in popularity. This trend is mirrored in the Northern Forest and has intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. For many rural communities, the growth of mountain biking represents an opportunity to build a new economy centered on forest-based recreation. However, questions remain about the impact mountain biking has on forests and forest-dependent communities.
NSRC researchers will explore the social impacts of mountain biking on the Northern Forest. They will investigate social impacts already identified and discussed in science literature and on social media. They will determine what social impacts of mountain biking are currently being experienced by communities in the Northern Forest and how the social impacts are similar or different to what is discussed beyond this region. They will then assess how these comparisons inform management and expectations of trends within the region. The research team will conduct a systematic literature review, social media analysis, content analysis of regional news stories, and community surveys to illuminate social impacts at the global, national, regional, and local levels, respectively.
Results of this study will shed light on a range of social impacts from mountain biking that are affecting Northern Forest communities now and into the future. These results will be of immediate practical use to land managers and communities considering enhancing mountain biking as a recreational and economic opportunity and will help inform decision-making about planning and managing forest-based recreation in the region.