The mountain bikers of Solothurn can breathe a sigh of relief. In its communication on the consultation of the new forest law, the cantonal government writes: "For example, cycling in the Solothurn forest should be possible on all existing paths."

This sounded very different last year: "The basic permission for cycling will be restricted to existing forest roads and specially designated paths", the consultation draft stated in 2024. IG Mountainbike Kanton Solothurn (IG MTB SO) fought back with a petition and submitted a good 12,000 signatures. It also lobbied other forest users and the political parties. "Our arguments were understood and incorporated into the responses of the parties and associations - at least where we saw them," explains Roy Studer, Co-President of the IG.

Nothing has been won yet

The population obviously cares about the forest, writes the government in its communication on the conclusion of the consultation process. 73 comments were received on the Forest Act. People are particularly concerned about the issue of leisure, especially cycling

Roy Studer is cautiously optimistic in an interview with Ride: "The trend is right, but anything is still possible, including a return to the ban." However, he is convinced that the parties in particular see the public interest in mountain biking, which is regularly practiced by 10 percent of the population. "The revision of the Forest Act was actually about climate protection. Now the focus is on recreational use," he describes. 

The representative of the hunting grounds and the president of the Association of Citizens' Communities (BWSO) expressed their skepticism in the Solothurner Zeitung (paid content). They criticize the fact that it is not clear what counts as an existing trail and fear that single trails created informally will now be legalized. "We would oppose this," the newspaper quotes the BWSO president as saying. The definition of the trail will be specified in the government's message on the law, promises the head of the canton's Office for Forests, Hunting and Fishing. And he lets it slip that his employees who are drafting the bill have "cut their teeth" on it.

Facts have had an effect

What is ultimately in the law will be decided by parliament. According to the Solothurner Zeitung, it is unclear whether the law will be dealt with by the current parliament before the summer vacations or by the newly elected legislature afterwards. IG Mountainbike is in contact with the members of the Committee for the Environment, Construction and Economy, which is preparing the business. "Leaning back now would be wrong, we have to keep at it until the end," explains Roy Studer. The new Solothurn Forest Act is due to come into force in the course of 2026.

It can be assumed that the Solothurn government reflects the majority opinion in its communication on the new Forest Act and that the ban on single trails has been averted. This is undoubtedly a success for IG MTB SO. How it managed this is also interesting for mountain bike organizations in other cantons. Roy Studer lists the most important steps: "We intervened in the opinion-forming process at an early stage. We also explained mountain biking as a leisure activity to non-bikers. We made information available to everyone: Statistics and scientific bases for mountain biking in the forest. This gave us credibility and respect."