Steve Anderson

The Pima Trails Association, Urban Trails Coalition and Sonoran Desert Mountain Bicyclists urge the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame to induct Steve Anderson of Tucson, Arizona into its roster of distinguished contributors to the sport.

Steve has been an ardent activist for mountain biking and shared-use trails advocate for more than 20 years. A mountain biker since 1987, Steve has been involved in a wide variety of successful trails, advocacy and open space conservation projects at the local, state and national level as both a trails advocate and a professional land manager. His vision and leadership have resulted in a thriving trails community in Southern Arizona, which has seen more than 45 miles of new, state-of-the-art singletrack trails completed in the last four years alone, and many more miles in the planning and design stage.
Steve’s achievements include:

NATIONAL LEVEL

Served as IMBA’s first and highest-achieving Arizona State Representative from 1992 to 2000.

Organized the first IMBA Advocacy Summit at Biosphere II in January of 1996. The IMBA Summit at the Biosphere was a watershed event in the history of mountain bike advocacy in the United States, and helped take mountain biking to a new level, and in the process transformed the IMBA organization.

Served as an IMBA Board member from 1996 to 2003.

Served as IMBA president from 2000-2003.

Led the successful effort to secure a cooperative agreement between the National Park Service and IMBA — an effort that is paying dividends now and will continue to do so for many years into the future.

Led the successful effort to have Saguaro National Park’s Cactus Forest Trail opened to bikes in 1991. The trail was the first shared-use singletrack trail in the U.S. National Park system.

Assisted the congressional liaison effort in 1994 that facilitated the passage of legislation that upgraded the former Saguaro National Monument to Saguaro National Park, and expanded the park by 3,500 acres.

Appointed in 2002 by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior to serve as the first chairperson of the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail Advisory Council, a 22-member group of cultural and natural resource experts from California and Arizona working to protect, develop and enhance the Anza National Historic Trail.

Is the Co-founder and CEO of the Anza Trail Foundation, a California-based nonprofit group.

Co-chaired the 1998 National Trails Symposium in Tucson.

Has served as an advisor on the American Trails advisory board since 1998.

Nominated Mountain Bike Hall of Fame Inductee Tim Blumenthal in 2001 on behalf of the IMBA Board of Directors.


STATE/REGIONAL LEVEL

Assisted in the development of the 800-mile cross-state Arizona Trail, which is now more than 95% complete. Anderson was instrumental in assuring that all sections of this incredible trail outside of federally-designated wilderness areas would be open to shared-use, including mountain bikes.

Served as project manager for the development of the Central Arizona Project Trail Master Plan, which encompasses a section of the trail more than 70 miles in length.

Secured National Recreation Trail status of the Central Arizona Project Trail in 2003.

Founded and served as chair of the CAP Trail Association, a regional association of agency partners involved in the development of the Central Arizona Project Trail.

Developed partnerships between Pima County and local, state and federal government agencies, citizen groups, land trusts, and conservation organizations such as the Nature Conservancy and The Trust for Public Land.

LOCAL LEVEL

Leading the effort to update Pima County’s trails “bible,” the Eastern Pima County Trail System Master Plan, which, in addition to including 1,500 miles of trails, will also include more than a dozen new urban trails parks with dozens of miles of new singletrack for mountain bikers.

Co-founded the Fantasy Island Conservation Alliance (FICA) and served a crucial behind-the-scenes role in protecting this world-famous 348-acre trails park from being sold to developers by the Arizona State Land Department.

Co-founded the Southern Arizona Mountain Bike Association (SAMBA) in 1991.

Co-founded the Sonoran Desert Mountain Bicyclists (SDMB) in 1998. SDMB is southern Arizona’s largest mountain bicycling organization and the state’s leading mountain bike advocacy organization.

Served as Pima Trails Association’s first-ever MTB advocate – 1989 to 1994; also served four years as vice president.

Became Pima County’s first trails and open space coordinator in 1995.

Planned and developed the Sweetwater Preserve Trails Park, a 700-acre open space preserve with more than 10 miles of new and highly popular shared-use trails.

Participated in the development of Pima County’s Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan, a 55-species Multiple Species Conservation Plan (MSCP) and one of the most ambitious regional open space conservation plans ever undertaken in the United States (winner of a 2001 American Planning Association award for excellence).

Acquired more than 3,500 acres of land on behalf of Pima County for open space conservation purposes, including the largest parcel of donated open space land in the county’s history.

Served as project manager for the 21,035-acre Tortolita Mountain Park Master Plan, which includes 40 miles of shared-use trails.

Has secured more than $6 million to date in grants and donations for open space, parks and trails projects (total value created since 1995: $15 million+).

Leading Pima County’s effort to develop its first countywide parks and recreation master plan, which will be complete in 2008.

Led the difficult but successful effort to protect the historic El Paso and Southwestern rail corridor and have it approved by the Tucson City Council for greenway development (2004/05).

Serves as Chair of the Tucson Parks and Recreation Commission, and is leading the effort to promote trails, greenway and open space in the City of Tucson.

Leading the effort to plan, design, implement, brand and market Pima County’s 3,500-acre Urban Trails Park System, which will serve equestrians, mountain bikers, hikers and trail runners.

Served as a principal in the development of Pima County’s $174 million 2004 Open Space Bond Program, which was overwhelmingly approved by the voters on May 18, 2004. Prepared the Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation Department’s priority projects list, presented the list to the Citizen’s Conservation Bond Advisory Committee, served as staff to the Advisory Committee, and co-authored the bond program.

Wrote the “Southern Arizona Trails Resource Guide,” a comprehensive guide to recreational trail opportunities on local, state and federal public lands in southern Arizona which is slated for a new edition in 2008/2009.

Led the effort to develop and secure the passage of Pima County’s Recreation Areas in Subdivisions ordinance in 2003, which will provide the Pima County Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation Department with a new revenue source worth seven figures per year. The Department has booked more than $6 million in revenues since the creation of the program.

Designed the trail and greenway system in the City of Tucson’s 10,800-acre Houghton Area Master Plan (HAMP) area, a cutting-edge regional urban design project.

Developed and managed Pima County’s nationally-recognized Trails and Open Space Program — which led to the area’s recognition as one of America’s leading “Trails Towns” in 1996.

Worked with the Pima County Parks and Recreation Commission to formally establish Pima County’s Mountain Park and Natural Preserve System, which encompasses more than 32,000 acres of sensitive Sonoran desert habitat.

Serving as project manger for the Parks Department’s first brownfield-to-park conversion project, which will become an urban trails park with trails for all users.

Served as project manager for the development of a master plan for the 60-mile long Pima County segment of the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail.

Assisted the City of Tucson Parks and Recreation Department with its recently-completed effort to develop a 10-year parks and recreation “Strategic Plan.”

Coordinated all facets of the 1996 comprehensive update of the Eastern Pima County Trail System Master Plan.

This list of accomplishments by no means covers all of Steve’s contributions to mountain bike advocacy, but it gives an idea of the range of his influence.

Both the mountain bicycling community and the trails community at large have reaped significant benefits at the national, state/regional and local levels because of Steve Anderson’s contributions. It is more than appropriate that he be inducted.