Public input on Kananaskis park and recreation plans November 2007
Albertans are invited to share their opinion on a new management plan being developed for Bragg Creek Provincial Park and close to 40 provincial recreation areas in Kananaskis Country. The provincial recreation areas include those along Highway 66 (Elbow Valley), Highway 68 (Sibbald Area) and Secondary Highway 541 (Longview Road). In addition to taking written feedback, two open house sessions will be held to gather input.
Monday, November 26, 3:00pm to 8:00pm at the Best Western Village Park Inn, 1804 Crowchild Trail N.W., Calgary
Tuesday, November 27, 3:00pm to 8:00pm at the Bragg Creek Community Centre, 25 White Avenue, Bragg Creek
Input is also invited on the park management plan's draft Terms of Reference, available at both sessions or by visiting the Kananaskis site at www.tprc.alberta.ca/parks or calling 403-678-5508. Written comments received by January 15, 2008 will be considered as the draft Terms of Reference and plan are prepared. Albertans will have another opportunity to provide input into the plan once a draft is finalized, expected to be in the spring of 2008.
We'll see if the park management will consider public input better than the Nose Hill fiasco.
cool I will go for sure. I wonder as bikers we should all be on the same page. What are the things we need and what can we do to help make the trails better? Do we want to all push towards building some new single track that is not horse friendly?
i don't know if going after horses is the right direction. i'd rather have equestrians/cowboys whatever they are- be friendly with us. besides they don't do half the damage that riders on rainy/sloppy days do to the trails. my attendance would be focused on legitimizing all moose mtn's trails as accepted trails. i'm still speechless regarding the logic behind logging on moose, its such a well used area for recreationalists. imo possibly allocating a section of maclean creek as mtn bike friendly would be a nice pipe dream too. isn't it funny how gillard and the woodlot advertise on PB's homepage for trail maintenance days, and its purely guerilla here. funny of course meaning depressing/frustrating/disillusioning.
The Moose Mt. logging logic is quite stellar...don't cut new trails or ride Jean-Guy as that is a sensitive area.
Of course now it's even more sensitive as surrounding areas have been clear cut so there are less places for the animals to go. I am sure they are all huddling in fear on Jean Guy as we speak.
Clear cutting on the other hand is an activity that benefits us all. After all don't we all share the profits from clear cutting parks?
The Nose Hill forums were quite spectacular in their execution. Preserve the natural beauty of the area by paving it.
The Moose Mt. logging logic is quite stellar...don't cut new trails or ride Jean-Guy as that is a sensitive area.
Of course now it's even more sensitive as surrounding areas have been clear cut so there are less places for the animals to go. I am sure they are all huddling in fear on Jean Guy as we speak.
Clear cutting on the other hand is an activity that benefits us all. After all don't we all share the profits from clear cutting parks?
The Nose Hill forums were quite spectacular in their execution. Preserve the natural beauty of the area by paving it.
only the french animals are hiding on jean guy. they are trying to make the trail a sovereign nation in itself. but they want in on the clear cutting profits too. lol. i cant name that trail there 54-40. durn it! where are my ponies anyway? you owe me two. bring em to the meeting.
Their agenda is to talk about how to develop a management plan for the parks in K-Country. I'm afraid that leaves your beloved Moose Mountain trails out of the discussion. It's not a designated park, and NEVER will be.
It's really sad. This "all of a sudden" we want public input will be used as a basis for deregulating the parks for future gas/timber development. None of us shiny shit talking pedal heads are worth a pinch of coon shit in the plans that have already been made for this area. Personally, I thought that's what I voted people into government for. To look after this type of thing in my best interest. Then again, I work in oil and gas...
I was surprised to hear about it on two AM radio stations today. Must have been a slow news day. It will be forgotten until when ever.
Nobody really cares enough, including myself. The few people that do, are just that... only a few. It's pretty hard to hear their voices over the sounds of progress.
So are there any good reasons why any trails in Kananaskis should remain closed to mountain bikers with all these recent developments? Seems it has turned into a free-for-all shit show.
Part of me says it's time for some new math:
Closed sign + saw (or crescent wrench) = open trail
Cut block + (hammer and nails) x effort = new trail(s)
Specifically - Bryant Creek Trail to Assiniboine, Jean Guy, Ribbon Creek to the falls, Jewel Pass, Lillian Lake Trail...those are the one that immediately come to mind.
Why are these closed? So they will be tidier when they are clear cut?
I also think that any area in Kananaskis should be fair game for new trails and stunts. The whole don't build stunts or ride Jean Guy because it's a sensitive area sort of falls on dead ears now.
The only good that can come out of this is new trails because of all the logging roads that have been built. Maybe also the ability to ski any cut blocks that have a descent pitch.
Park users/mountain bikers are getting screwed here and it's time to adapt to the new rules...which are that there are no rules anymore.
i don't know if going after horses is the right direction. i'd rather have equestrians/cowboys whatever they are- be friendly with us. besides they don't do half the damage that riders on rainy/sloppy days do to the trails. my attendance would be focused on legitimizing all moose mtn's trails as accepted trails. i'm still speechless regarding the logic behind logging on moose, its such a well used area for recreationalists. imo possibly allocating a section of maclean creek as mtn bike friendly would be a nice pipe dream too. isn't it funny how gillard and the woodlot advertise on PB's homepage for trail maintenance days, and its purely guerilla here. funny of course meaning depressing/frustrating/disillusioning.
Have you ever ridden a trail that has only horses and no bikes on it? Try Allenby Pass! They absolutely destroy trails, and without our tires to smoothen it out, the trail is a mess and damn near impossible to ride. When it's wet, they posthole the trail to death! Bikes actually smoothen out the horse beating! lol We all need eachother! The more voices, the better! Nose Hill is a mess! The pavement they put in has rock chips and loose gravel on it and I thought I might at least be able to ride my road bike up there, but that aint happening now! They are frikkin idiots! I hope these same "brains" arent in charge out there too. The problem is most Gov't people never get out! They all stayed in on Fridays and studied, became lawyer/buisiness types and just are totally out of touch with the "real world". They just don't get it! I bet the decision makers have never even been out there! They just see the bottom line, which is The Spray Lake Sawmills election contributions! BTW, I rode almost all those trails a few times this year! Assinaboine is next year! Jewel Pass isn't closed, is it? I rode there all year!
Specifically - Bryant Creek Trail to Assiniboine, Jean Guy, Ribbon Creek to the falls, Jewel Pass, Lillian Lake Trail...those are the one that immediately come to mind.
Why are these closed? So they will be tidier when they are clear cut?
Are you thinking of the old Jean-Guy? The one that got torn down years ago? It was closed because the open meadow that the trail bisected is a busy feeding ground for the critters - had nothing to do with logging. Jean-Guy on the Rocks is a good ride in its place!
Are you thinking of the old Jean-Guy? The one that got torn down years ago? It was closed because the open meadow that the trail bisected is a busy feeding ground for the critters - had nothing to do with logging. Jean-Guy on the Rocks is a good ride in its place!
I guess I am alluding to the comments on the cmbalink.com in regards to not riding this trail because:
that meadows have to be avoided because they are important habitat for the deer, elk and bears.
Obviously it's not that important as areas around it are being clear cut...as we speak.
I find this arguement for not using a trail very hypocritical. I would argue that the bigger picture is being totally ignored and mountain bikers are being singled out as the root of all evil.
I guess I am alluding to the comments on the cmbalink.com in regards to not riding this trail because:
that meadows have to be avoided because they are important habitat for the deer, elk and bears.
Obviously it's not that important as areas around it are being clear cut...as we speak.
I find this arguement for not using a trail very hypocritical. I would argue that the bigger picture is being totally ignored and mountain bikers are being singled out as the root of all evil.
I agree it's hypocritical - but they didnt have the dollar signs in their eyes four years ago (maybe they did, I dont know). I really doubt using Jean-Guy or any of the other nine trails on Moose, other than Packers, will hold much water in an argument, however. They're all illegal trails and are only still there because the SRD has turned a blind eye towards them
I swung by the Bragg Creek open house today, on my way home. Not much to see, really, but did chat a bit with a couple of K-Country people. One thing I didn't realize is that this current round of planning is only concerned with Provincial Recreation Areas in "Kananaskis Country", ie- mainly "facilities" such as campgrounds, picnic areas, etc, mostly in the foothills. Just a tiny area of the big picture,and not that important in the long term goal of maintaining the environmental, aesthetic and recreational values of Kananaskis, IMO. I'll read the documents, and submit my comments nonetheless.
Been out of the country for the last two months. Last I heard Spray Lakes Sawmill got there permission to clear cut. Can someone bring me up to speed on the latest. Also wondering if there are going to be any more open houses.