Bikes are or will shortly be allowed on singletrack trails. And nobody's enforcing away the class 1 bikes.Different strokes for different folks.
I'll say that my current thinking is I will not get an e-bike until I have a) at least used up my current SC 5010c and/or b) can't ride where I live because it is too much for my body/spirit. My rides cover enough mileage and elevation to keep me in shape and are still in the type I and type II fun. I don't need to go farther or ride longer than I do at present.
Around here (Summit County, CO), you can't ride dirt, other than moto trails, on an e-bike. As long as I live here and rules don't change, going 'e' would significantly detract from my riding experience.
Currently, I'm leaning more towards the e-bike as a truck/commuter vehicle than a recreational vehicle. I won't disparage anyone riding an e-bike unless they are on trails where they are prohibited.
I haven't noticed people breaking the rules (riding e-bikes in prohibited areas) around here and virtually all the e-bikes I see are on the rec-paths; some commuters, mostly visitors. Anecdotally, there haven't been any noticeable/reported changes to the incidence of accidents happening because of someone being on an e-bike. Our visitors tend to be experiencing the moment and experience, not paying close attention to their behavior, so I'm happy that the added speed (anecdotally again) they are enjoying hasn't caused noticeable changes in accidents.
Around these parts, the initial concerns I had about people overextending their (and their bike's) capabilities hasn't materialized. I don't know if that would change if e-bikes were permitted on non-moto trails.
Because the forest service realizes that the wave is impossible to turn back.