A Clear Path Forward for the Vermont Mountain Bike Association

Mountain biking in Vermont has changed considerably over the last decade and is now Vermont's fastest-growing form of outdoor recreation. In 2022 alone, TrailForks counted over 580,000 ride logs, more than double their pre-pandemic number. Vermont Mountain Bike Association (VMBA) has also grown into the country's largest statewide MTB advocacy group, wrapping up last year with nearly 10,000 members - equivalent to 1.5% of the Vermont population. With this incredible growth in profile, presence, and impact - those at the helm of VMBA acknowledged the need for a new long-term plan to chart a course that harnesses this growth and ensures we retain the magic and character of Vermont trail riding.

The Board and staff sat down in early 2022 to revisit VMBA’s Mission and Vision, culminating in modest but important updates to both Statements. With these in place as a ‘north star,’ VMBA leadership collected input from the organization’s 29 Chapters, listened to partners, and analyzed data from their annual Member Surveys. Based on these sources, they then mapped out the major challenges in the way of well-planned, accessible, and progressive trail systems state-wide and a future where mountain biking is at the center of healthy, economically vibrant, and environmentally sustainable communities statewide.

“Taking stock of the state of the big challenges and opportunities for mountain biking here in Vermont, as well as the strengths VMBA has developed as an organization, allowed us to put together a plan that we believe will bring trail riding in Vermont to the next level.” - Nick Bennette, VMBA Executive Director

With this long list of ideas, desires, challenges, and opportunities, the Board and staff hammered out seven major goals across Trails, Advocacy, Community, and the Organization. That’s right, TACO:

Trails: 

1. Steward a statewide network of accessible, well-planned, progressive, and sustainable trails

Advocacy:

2. Move public-access recreational trails out of Act 250 and into an appropriate oversight model

3. Acknowledge landowners by incorporating public-access trails into the Current Use program

Community

4. Establish an informed ridership that knows where, when, and how to ride

5. Count the majority of those who regularly use Vermont’s trails as active VMBA Members

6. Significantly increase youth, non-male, BIPOC, and adaptive representation in MTB ridership

Organization: 

7. Run a thriving, sustainable organization that attracts and retains talent and develops our Chapters.

You can check out a visual summary of the plan and the entire document on www.vmba.org. Those interested are also invited to attend VMBA’s virtual Annual Meeting on 3/23 to learn more; details can be found on the Events page on vmba.org. 

About VMBA

Through a family of 29 unified Chapters, the Association carries out its mission to ensure the sustainability of mountain biking in Vermont and thoughtfully promote exceptional riding experiences for all through advocacy, education, and community-driven stewardship. VMBA is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. The Chapter model and approach to state-level advocacy is a uniquely effective combination that meaningfully links the perspectives of individual riders to the Association’s work with state leadership. With nearly 10,000 members, VMBA is a cornerstone of Vermont’s outdoor community, advocating for public land access, private landowner protections, modernized policy, and sustainably constructed trails.