The Castlegar Parks & Trails Society builds and maintains recreation trails for non-motorized use in the Castlegar area. Our trails receive thousands of visits each year and are a valuable asset to residents of the West Kootenay community. The Owners of the lands on which the trails are located have given the society permission to build and maintain these trails on the basis that the usage be restricted to non-motorized.
Unfortunately, we are seeing our trails being increasingly accessed by motorized vehicles, primarily dirt bikes and ATVs (particularly on trails along the Kootenay and Columbia Rivers), even though the trails are posted as non-motorized. Since they were not designed to accommodate vehicle travel, the trails are consequently being damaged by the vehicles. In some cases, the vehicle operators intentionally leave the trails and head into the forest causing ruts which usually leads to soil erosion and even more damage.
The landowners and their neighbours, on whose good will we depend to allow the trails to exist, are becoming disillusioned. Some are stating that if the motorized use cannot be stopped, their permission for the trails will be revoked. Where new trails are being considered, landowners are balking at giving permission as they fear the trail will only become a gateway for motorized users to trespass onto their land.
The society asks that the owners of motorized vehicles respect the landowners’ wishes and the Society’s efforts to maintain the trails and find somewhere else for their recreation. Off-road motorized recreationists should consider joining the West Kootenay Recreational Dirt Bike and ATV Society, which builds and maintains off-road trails permitted for motorized use in the Rover Creek area. We ask that if trail users happen upon motorized users on Castlegar Parks & Trails Society trails, they politely ask the motorized users to leave. If we cannot manage the trails to meet the landowners’ wishes, we risk losing this resource.
David Hall.
President, Castlegar Parks & Trails Society