The disagreements between the forest owners and the mountain bikers who use the Ulmiz Trail near Bern have been going on for almost three years. About a year ago, however, the matter came to a head and biking on this trail was no longer tolerated. This downhill route on four sections, consisting of existing trails and sections that are not signposted as hiking trails, became increasingly popular - but the forest owners were red-faced. It is clear to everyone involved that conflict is not a solution. The first step towards a peaceful trail future is the founding of the "IG Bike Ulmizberg" association, which will take place on Tuesday, June 10, 2014. The main target group will be users of the Ulmiz bike trails, but forest owners are also invited to the founding event at the "Rössli" restaurant in Gasel. In addition, the contract will be legally certified by the legal service of the municipality of Köniz to ensure that forest owners cannot be held liable in the event of an accident on the Ulmiz Trail.

Heinz Nacht, a member of the Köniz parliament and himself an enthusiastic mountain biker who is very close to the scene, is the initiator of the sponsorship. As he has good contacts with the farmers, who are among the 20 or so forest owners, thanks to his mandate with the SVP Köniz, Nacht can smooth the waters between them and the trail users, establish communication and speed up a solution. "If we go through the canton, something might happen in five years' time. That's why we sat down at a round table with all the affected forest owners last fall to find a solution," says Nacht, explaining the speedy approach. Heinz Nacht believes that it is important to always be able to talk to each other well, rather than suddenly having radical escalations on both sides.

Initiator Heinz Nacht is confident that the agreement will be concluded: "If at all, the only 'points of contention' that could still arise are compensation and the route, but we are sure to find an agreement on these." We are also aiming for a three-stage action plan. "The first priority is the contract with the landowners. Secondly, the four sections of the entire trail will be expanded to create a clear route and thus prevent damage to nature. The third point is about financing. This will be paid for out of our own pocket and from sponsors. However, the aim is that we can hand over the maintenance of the trail to the municipality, similar to the maintenance of the hiking trail," says Nacht, explaining the three points. Nacht also recommends that every biker - including non-Ulmiz Trail users - buy the voluntary forest vignette: "This can be used to pay any compensation. I also see this as a kind of appreciation that we, as trail and forest users, can show to the forest owners.

Link to the topic: www.ride.ch/site/index.php/7875-ulmizberg-biker-sollen-bikestrecke-selber-berappen.html