Needs over wants
The proposed mountain bike trail on Mt. Kearsarge is a cause of concern because it’s an example of a disturbing post-COVID trend: we are loving our wilderness to death. There was a huge increase in all sorts of outdoor activities during COVID and the fallout from that has had a negative impact on wildlife and wildlife habitat across the country.
In many areas, entire herds of some species have been pushed off their former range by increased trail traffic in wilderness areas. Here in New England, organizations have instituted seasonal trail closures to avoid negative impacts around vulnerable breeding/wintering habitat for certain species of wildlife.
This comes down to a question of wants versus needs. All outdoor recreational activities that humans engage in, yes even our favorite, most loved ones, are wants. Having suitable habitat to breed, raise young, escape predators, find food and survive harsh winters are NEEDS. Our wildlife simply cannot survive without suitable habitat.
That is why we have to strike a balance between public access to open land for recreation (a concept I agree with and partake of a great deal) and preserving and protecting a diversity of wildlife habitat in order to sustain the variety of wildlife species that call New Hampshire home.
It is frustrating that, as so many of us have lost all connection to the natural world, we always seem to rule in favor of human wants over environmental needs. We do this at our own peril.