We've been contacted by two of the bodies we rely on for a huge percentage of our SSDT permissions to tell us that illegal riding is putting the SSDT at risk. Not just for the future, but right now, for 2012.
Riders have been reported to them more than once in recent weeks for practising on areas of land that are designated Sites of Specific Scientific Interest (SSSIs), specifically in the Glen Nevis and Leven Valley areas.
This isn't just affecting the SSDT - Lochaber club trials are also at risk. We would ask that before you take your bike out and about that you make sure that you understand the permissions you require from both the landowner and other environmental agencies.
Please consider the impact that your actions may have on the future of both the SSDT and other trials in the area. It's easy to think you have permission from a landowner without realising the boundaries that are in place.
Take a look at Scottish Natural Heritage's SSSI website - it's got a wealth of information, including detailed maps of the conservation areas across Scotland. It explains why each area is designated as an SSSI and shows exactly where you can and can't go.
We don't want to be kiilljoys, but this is a huge, huge issue for us and for the future of our sport - it's something that we've always known is a threat to the future of the trial, but now that threat is very real. Please give us, and the local community, your support and help us keep the SSDT going.
A formal statement from the club will follow regarding the action that will be taken against any entrants caught riding illegally in the run-up to the trial.