RDOS Regional Trails Master Plan process recognizing summer-motorized recreation

Submitted by ExecutiveDirector on November 30, 2011 - 16:25

Information is available at the RDOS Master Trail Planning page. Have your say by filling our their surveys. 

Of all respondents so far, 49% have been motorized! This is great news, showing our unity and committment to trails development.  Keep filling out those surveys.

Cascade Environmental of Whistler has been contracted by the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen to help them develop a long-term trails plan. According the Alix Pierce-Douglas, project lead, their vision is:

"Membership of the Regional Trails Master Plan Working Group includes a variety of trail user groups including the BCORMA, ATV BC, and representatives from the hiking, and mountain bike sectors. It also includes local government representatives from the communities within the region and local trail stewards. The group has met twice thus far, with three more meetings planned. The Master Planning process also includes monthly open houses with the next scheduled for December 13, location TBD.

The meetings to date have been information gathering sessions, wherein Working Group members and open house attendees were asked to provide local trail data and identify missing links, areas needing improvement, opportunities for trail connection, areas where land ownership issues exist and areas where a great deal of conflict occurs. Most of the discussion so far has focused on major thoroughfares and rail corridors. The next phase of the project will involve prioritizing trail improvement and construction projects and identifying additional trail areas requiring review and discussion. The process is scheduled to conclude in February 2012."

We need data from riders to show Cascade Environmental and RDOS our number of participants and km of trail we maintain and use. We have worked out a data-sharing agreement with Cascade to help protect your data from misuse. 

Send all your data to me: peter.sprague@bcorma.ca with your name and email. All contact information will stay with me.

  • Format to send: Tim of Cascade said any format was fine. So GDB or GPX is great.
  • Make sure it is of decent quality, ie not full of birds nests and lots of repeats if possible.
  • If you can supply some information about the routes to me that would be great:
    • skill level,
    • trail type - single track, double-track, old forestry rd, active FSR, road,
    • trail(s) name,
    • fun level,
    • who maintains it if you know, and
    • anything else you would like to supply.

The more broken out into trail segments the better, but I'm not expecting perfect survey data. We must show we need those routes everyone uses through the mountains.  Displaying level of use is also important.

Remember, fill those surveys in, its very important to show our numbers!!

Peter