CraigH
03-01-2005, 11:12 AM
Article from the Williams Lake Tribune newspaper. (The article is no longer on the paper's site, but Google has a cached copy.
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Mountain bikers seek Cariboo-made solution
By Sage Birchwater
Feb 15 2005
Land use issues are a common theme for biking communities all over the globe. That's what Sal DeMare told fellow cyclists at a meeting last week, called to form a legal society to take responsibility for the community's biking trails.
"In every single biking magazine there's an article on land use issues," DeMare said. "Some members of our group have questioned whether forming a society is the only way to go, some wonder if it is giving up."
DeMare said it is important to acknowledge that the world around us is changing. He told fellow cyclers he felt it was possible to got into an agreement with the Ministry of Forests and still maintain the group's autonomy.
About 17 people turned out for the February 9 meeting at city hall, and three committees were formed to move forward to establish a legal non-profit society.
DeMare was the group's choice for president and seven others volunteered to serve as directors.
The group plans to borrow ideas from a similar biking society formed in Merritt, but will fashion its own constitution, mission statement, rules of conduct, and operating plan to reflect its "made-in-the-Cariboo" situation.
The group will meet again at 7 p.m. on March 1 at the Lignum Tolko office, as the move forward to register as a legal society.
DeMare said the club will continue as it always has, except the society will take responsibility for the management of the trail system under an agreement with the Ministry of Forests. He said it will operate under the same name, Williams Lake Cycling Club, and will promote its existing trail system using maps the group has already created.
"That way we won't have to re-do too many signs," DeMare explained later.
Under its agreement with the Ministry of Forests, club members will be covered by an insurance plan provided by the ministry.
DeMare says the club will get into fundraising by approaching the city and the regional district for a grant-in-aid, and some of the other usual sources.
"Hopefully the Ministry of Forests will help out financially somehow for signage, mapping and stunt material," DeMare said.
He said the move by the local bike group to register as a society isn't happening a moment too soon. He says the Ministry of Forests has formed a province-wide committee of staff from various district offices to take a proactive stance on unregistered biking trails.
"They're taking a proactive stance."
DeMare says the local group has a big job ahead of it.
"Every trail has to get labeled and signed and a survey needs to be done for all the stunts to see if they are up to code."
He figures it will take two or three years to do that, and says a yearly inventory will likely have to be taken to update the information.
DeMare said club members have to decide whether to go for an area-based tenure or a trail-based tenure. He said he personally favours the area-based model.
He notes that there are at least four distinct areas, the De Sous Mountain area, Fox Mountain, the West Side, and South Lakeside.
DeMare says forming the legal society doesn't mean an end to trail-building or an end to expanding the mountain biking potential in the community.
He sees it more as taking the next step and entering a new era.
It means upgrading standards where necessary, though many trails and stunts are just fine the way they are. It also means rebuilding some of the stunts that were dismantled last fall by the Ministry of Forests.
DeMare says that he, Troy Forcier and Nicole Brandson are heading off to Whistler to take training as certified mountain bike guides.
There's lots happening on the bike trails around Williams Lake, and DeMare figures it will only get better.
"There's 600 to 800 people who use our trails. We're looking for members to join the society through our club."
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mountain bikers seek Cariboo-made solution
By Sage Birchwater
Feb 15 2005
Land use issues are a common theme for biking communities all over the globe. That's what Sal DeMare told fellow cyclists at a meeting last week, called to form a legal society to take responsibility for the community's biking trails.
"In every single biking magazine there's an article on land use issues," DeMare said. "Some members of our group have questioned whether forming a society is the only way to go, some wonder if it is giving up."
DeMare said it is important to acknowledge that the world around us is changing. He told fellow cyclers he felt it was possible to got into an agreement with the Ministry of Forests and still maintain the group's autonomy.
About 17 people turned out for the February 9 meeting at city hall, and three committees were formed to move forward to establish a legal non-profit society.
DeMare was the group's choice for president and seven others volunteered to serve as directors.
The group plans to borrow ideas from a similar biking society formed in Merritt, but will fashion its own constitution, mission statement, rules of conduct, and operating plan to reflect its "made-in-the-Cariboo" situation.
The group will meet again at 7 p.m. on March 1 at the Lignum Tolko office, as the move forward to register as a legal society.
DeMare said the club will continue as it always has, except the society will take responsibility for the management of the trail system under an agreement with the Ministry of Forests. He said it will operate under the same name, Williams Lake Cycling Club, and will promote its existing trail system using maps the group has already created.
"That way we won't have to re-do too many signs," DeMare explained later.
Under its agreement with the Ministry of Forests, club members will be covered by an insurance plan provided by the ministry.
DeMare says the club will get into fundraising by approaching the city and the regional district for a grant-in-aid, and some of the other usual sources.
"Hopefully the Ministry of Forests will help out financially somehow for signage, mapping and stunt material," DeMare said.
He said the move by the local bike group to register as a society isn't happening a moment too soon. He says the Ministry of Forests has formed a province-wide committee of staff from various district offices to take a proactive stance on unregistered biking trails.
"They're taking a proactive stance."
DeMare says the local group has a big job ahead of it.
"Every trail has to get labeled and signed and a survey needs to be done for all the stunts to see if they are up to code."
He figures it will take two or three years to do that, and says a yearly inventory will likely have to be taken to update the information.
DeMare said club members have to decide whether to go for an area-based tenure or a trail-based tenure. He said he personally favours the area-based model.
He notes that there are at least four distinct areas, the De Sous Mountain area, Fox Mountain, the West Side, and South Lakeside.
DeMare says forming the legal society doesn't mean an end to trail-building or an end to expanding the mountain biking potential in the community.
He sees it more as taking the next step and entering a new era.
It means upgrading standards where necessary, though many trails and stunts are just fine the way they are. It also means rebuilding some of the stunts that were dismantled last fall by the Ministry of Forests.
DeMare says that he, Troy Forcier and Nicole Brandson are heading off to Whistler to take training as certified mountain bike guides.
There's lots happening on the bike trails around Williams Lake, and DeMare figures it will only get better.
"There's 600 to 800 people who use our trails. We're looking for members to join the society through our club."
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