Here, right in Columbia, Missouri, is solitude, peace, freedom, space, stillness.

The Gans Creek recreation area is a beacon of natural beauty. This area includes magnificent caves, a winding creek, forest, and prairie vistas. Gans Creek is home to a broad variety of wildlife and a delicately balanced ecosystem. The proposed mountain bike trail planned by the Columbia city council threatens to disrupt this harmony and cause potential undue harm to the resident fauna, flora, and soil. Many threatened and endangered species still thrive here, such as the Tricolored and Gray bats, in addition to the Great Blue Heron and its 30-year established 17 nest rookery. 

Studies correlate construction projects like mountain bike trails can lead to disturbances with increased animal stress levels, decreased reproductive success, and pollution. We must remember that the health of our environment is intrinsically connected to our well-being. In cities, assessment from the EPA has shown that wild spaces serve to filter pollution and increase mental and physical health.

By signing this petition, you are asking the Columbia city council to amend the Janurary 6th, 2025, Ordinance by selecting one of their four other appropriate wild areas the city already owns to relocate this same mountain bike tournament course. Let's save this unique ecosystem and, at the same time, provide a mountain bike recreation opportunity of equal worth. Let Gans Creek become a conservation area that the public can explore, and let the wildlife flourish. The wild ones thank you for your support.