IMBA Gets Local, and It's Paying Off

Anthony Duncan is the Director of Local Programs at IMBA and is based out of Johnson City, Tennessee. The IMBA Local program is designed to support grassroots mountain bike organizations through services, education and mentorship programs. In this episode we ask Anthony: How long have you been at IMBA? What were you doing before joining? The IMBA local program was launched at the end of 2017 which represented a huge change for the organization. What was happening back then that led to the formation of Local? There are two IMBA Local support service options: Chapter services and Affiliate services. What does Affiliate services include? What kinds of services does Chapter support add? Does IMBA directly help groups advocate at the local level, or do you provide education and resources so groups can advocate for themselves instead? What are some of the biggest challenges local trail groups are facing? Have you seen an uptick in new local groups forming since the pandemic began? It seems like lately some of the groups that decided to drop their IMBA association are coming back as Local affiliates. What do you think is driving that? Do you think state-level groups like those forming in Vermont and California are a natural evolution in MTB advocacy?How do IMBA Regions fit this model? Is this a good time to be a mountain bike advocate? Are economic arguments increasingly effective in trail project approvals? What’s next for IMBA Local? Learn more about IMBA Local at IMBA.com. --Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks