Butterfly may block bike race

The 6th-annual Idyllwild Spring Challenge is in some jeopardy. The U.S. Forest Service is conducting an environmental assessment of biking use of the area normally part of the race course, which is considered one of the most beautiful race venues in the country. One of the issues that the Forest Service is investigating is potential threat to the habitat of the Quino checkerspot butterfly, which is on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Threatened and Endangered Species list. To protect the Quino’s habitat in the May Valley area, the San Jacinto Ranger District has begun a project to analyze the effects of continuing to permit annual bike events on trails in the May Valley area. According to Forest Service official Andy Smith, there is a possibility that the event won’t be permitted to occur as planned. “If we do have a finding that there’s a significant effect [on the habitat of the Quino checkerspot butterfly], we would not permit the race,” he said...more