This site is not affiliated with COTA but if you live in Central Oregon and mountain bike you should JOIN COTA. Why? Because they are largely responsible for either making and or maintaining hundreds of miles of trails in the area. The federal agencies have less and less money for trail maintenance and construction. Think the federal government should be abolished and you shouldn't have to pay taxes anyway? Well here is your chance to support that new world order.
Even though COTA is a volunteer organization they still need funds for such things as food and drink for trail building maintenance parties, tools and equipment, a secure place to store that equipment and internet hosting expenses just to name a few of the expenses. That equipment is more than shovels and picks by the way, they have expensive earth moving machinery like this. Another major expense is paying off local land managers in order to maintain those incredibly tenuous relationships. All joking aside, the politics with the federal agencies takes a lot time, patience, political ability. These guys have the political talent of corporate CEOs but, instead they are they are investing their time in making mountain bike trails happen in Central Oregon. Speaking of investing, a lot of money flows into Central Oregon from recreational tourism and people who move here for the lifestyle. If you live in Central Oregon and Bend in particular your bottom line is very likely stimulated on some level by that influx of dollars.
In February of 2010 COTA only had about 350 members and that is a substantial increase from previous years. You know there are more than 350 mountain bikers in Central Oregon probably by a factor of ten at least. The basic membership of $30.00 is a small price to pay to be able to ride the wonderful trail system that starts at our back door. Thirty dollars a season is about the price of going out to eat with a date and the benefits are almost as good and that is not $30 just for one time.
Many local businesses give discounts to COTA members and it would not take very many discounted purchases to equal $30.00
If you don't pony up then they will be forced to go out to trail heads with their helmets off and ask for donations. You don't want to deal with that every time you ride do you? If you are not financially able to join maybe because of the depressed economy you can always volunteer to do trail work. That would be greatly appreciated as well. COTA has lots of projects on the drawing boards so there is no shortage of work with them.
http://www.cotamtb.com/memberships/signup/
