By: Gracie Goos
Glenwood, Iowa – Within the past month, there had been a lot of discussion on whether people should be allowed to hold dirt bike races within the Loess Hills in Mills County, IA. Community Members were concerned that it will ruin the preservation of the historic landscape.
Dirt bike racing is a challenging and thrilling sport that is held all over the world on a variety of different terrains and obstacles. Loess Hills Racetrack owner Alex Malcolm wanted the community to know the facts about dirt bike racing before making assumptions about how it affects the land.
“Once the races are over, that’s when the real work happens because we bring equipment in, and we re-seed wherever you see grass that’s been disturbed. We plant grass seed back. We want to take care of the land; it’s our land. It’s not going to go anywhere if we don’t take care of it, so that’s why we spend a lot of money for things to stay the way we saw them before we got here,” said Malcolm.
Past Enduro race held in Mills County in Glenwood, IA. (Photo/Gracie Goos)
Alex also shared that the trails that racers ride on are like the walking trails within the Loess Hills; both usually originate from deer trails or erosion.
The Loess Hills run about 200 miles from Sioux City, IA, to St. Joeseph, MO. The Hills get its name from the high amounts of Loess deposits that can only be found elsewhere in China.
It’s important to note that the races that are held once a year are on private property within the Loess Hills, not conservation land.
Racers lined up, ready to start the race at Loess Hill, located in Glenwood, IA. (Photo/Gracie Goos)
Chairman of the Board of Supervisors for Mills County, Lonnie Mayberry, said there are steps to follow to comply with county ordinances that haven’t been done and that next year, there could be changes made that might make it harder for these races to continue.
County residents and the Board of Supervisors, members of the community hope an agreement can be made where the hills are protected, but races can still be held.
