I recently received feedback from IMBA's Executive Director, Mike Van Abel, in regards to the advocacy letter I submitted complimenting their plans to deploy field-based professional staff.
Mike pointed out that while IMBA isn't financially able to deploy staff at this time, they look forward to partnering w/local and/or statewide clubs to help with the funding.
My suggestion would be to use IMBA's staff to work w/land managers and local government and bike clubs to insure we submit as many RTP grants as possible. KY has over 1 million dollars per year in RTP funding and very little goes to new natural surface dirt trails. Submitting RTP's is simply too time-consuming and intimidating for most local volunteer clubs.
Securing RTP grants would be a win-win situation for all involved. IMBA would benefit by spec'ing in their own Trail Consulting arm to do the work (thereby gaining up to $80,000 in revenue per project). Local communities (and mountain bikers) stand to benefit, as properly designed and built trail systems will provide not only economic benefits, but it will also draw new riders into the sport.
In order to help fund IMBA's field-based staff, cycling clubs could tap into existing revenue streams (racing for example) to help lay the ground work that could potentially be the most beneficial thing to ever hit off road cycling. KY racers lay out thousands of dollars per year in racing fees, and if only a small portion of that was donated to IMBA for this new and exciting initiative, we could help it get off the ground. Furthermore, if we partnered with surrounding states, we could become the first area in the nation to get the local assistance.
IMBA's done a great deal to help move mountain biking in the right direction. If local/regional cycling clubs seize this new and exciting initiative, KY could easily become an off-road cycling destination.
