A road, by any other name...

Understandably, there are probably a fair amount of Sisters residents that are growing a bit weary and puzzled by the Sisters-Black Butte Path controversy. After all, who on God's currently green, but soon to be paved-over earth could possibly stand in opposition to an initiative that boasts of connecting our community?

Well, if you have the time and patience for yet another opinion on this topic, I invite you to please read on...

When challenged on its financial, expertise, and simple manpower to manage the proposed path, the Sisters Trails Alliance is quick to point to the Peterson Ridge Trail as an example of their ability to maintain publicly used land. Their pride in the PRT is understandable and well-justified.

However, not all initiatives put forth by members of the STA, a group largely comprised of road-bike enthusiasts, have shared the same success. Case in point: Recall the overwhelmingly negative community reaction over reverse back-in parking on Main Avenue.

The core cause for rancor was that the greater community's desire was being subjugated by the wants of a smaller group whose motivations were seen as largely self-serving; a local group of road-bike cyclists that felt that this would be a good thing for themselves and other cyclists. Update: A drive down Main reveals that the law is often misunderstood/ignored. One can only imagine the subsequent effect a parking ticket would have on a tourist that opted to spend some discretionary income in town, only to be rewarded with a ticket. Welcome to Sisters Country!

Suffice to say, in terms of the greater desires of the community, the STA's proposed Sisters-BBR Path seems to fall more on the reverse-parking end of the spectrum than the Peterson Trail. Regardless, the STA is determined to push the $2.8 million project through, acting as if it is somehow their oxymoronic right to be able to ride their road bikes through the forest.

In a kitchen-sink approach attempt to secure over $2 million of taxpayer funding (read: grant) and garner public support, the STA has attempted to position the path to appeal to numerous different groups. Some of the arguments offered by the STA

include:

It's a Green Thing: Since when is the destruction of 19 acres of forest habitat a good thing for the environment? Additionally, it is a "recreational trail." Presumably, anybody who finds themselves recreating on the path is doing so as a form of recreation, not in lieu of taking the Suburban out for a brisk cardio workout to Black Butte Ranch and back. It's a zero sum - no additional cars come off the road when a bike rider simply takes a different route.

Childhood obesity is a big problem. The notion that the absence of a paved bike trail between Sisters and BBR is somehow keeping sedentary children from being inspired to drop their iPhones and commit to fitness is absurd.

The path will positively impact our local economy. Sounds great, in theory. But who in our local economy benefits if I choose to leave my house in Tollgate and get on my bicycle and ride to Black Butte Ranch and back? The only thing impacted would be my arthritic knee and sore hip. The argument must be then that the 7.2 mile asphalt path will be such an incredible draw that tourists will plan their vacations around it and flock to the area for the chance to experience good old Sisters Country asphalt. Does anybody really believe that the path would be directly responsible for drawing carloads of discretionary-cash-toting tourists to our area?

Lastly, do we really feel okay about steamrolling an asphalt path through the very land we all profess to love and marvel in its beauty?