Motorized and non-motorized groups aren’t exactly ready to hug it out, but a working group on trails in the regional district are bringing them closer to it.
“You get the groups together and talk, and that is huge when you have them in the same room, as we found out with the working group. Emotions ran high and it has been a roller coaster. Sometimes the groups get along, sometimes they do not, but every time they meet we make progress,” said Dave Williamson principal of Cascade Environmental. “While I don’t think we had a group hug today, it was getting close.”
The consulting group was contracted by the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen to help develop a regional trails master plan with the feedback from residents and a working group committee that includes volunteer stakeholders. From Oct. 21 to Dec. 16, 458 submissions were received from the survey on the regional district’s Click, Hike and Bike website (www.clickhikebike.com). Among the suggestions that will be officially presented to the RDOS board on March 15 is a framework to resolve conflicts between user-groups.
Animosity still seems to run high between some user-groups. Rod Hollett stood up during the trails master plan open house question period on Wednesday, holding a tire from an off-road vehicle that he found left behind on a trail. He suggested motorized users should have their own area to have fun, and stay off the trails.
“I think this area is unique because it is very diverse and there is a lot of trails meshing. While other plans we have worked on are trending away from motorized use, this plan is different. It is welcoming motorized use. The trick is finding out how it is going to work in harmony together with non-motorized,” said Williamson.
Another person in the crowd said it is important for different trail user-groups to self-police one another and spread the word of being responsible.
“There is always three per cent of the general population that will not comply with the rules. Each sector’s responsibility is to deal with that portion of their sector through peer-pressure, education and things like that,” said Williamson. “We are not waving a magic wand and saying conflict is going to disappear and there won’t be anymore trails ridden on, but what we are doing is providing, hopefully, a system that will be workable going forward, and it becomes more collaborative rather than us against them.”
Mark Woods, community services manager at the RDOS, said the study will become a living, visionary document. Woods said RDOS staff now will be able to see what existing trails are on or near a proposed development property and ensure they are protected. They hope this would eliminate any conflict where a trail would be closed, such as the case in Kaleden where a property owner has closed off part of the KVR trail.
