The District of Squamish is formulating a plan to ensure money goes back into trails after they've been used for profitable commercial gain.
The action comes as overwhelmed local trails volunteers continue to plead for support. Squamish Off Road Cycling Association (SORCA) director of trail maintenance Chris McCrum recently wrote the district urging a stop to the free ride.
"We can not allow MTB [mountain bike] tourism to ride on the coat-tails of local enthusiasts and volunteers as it has been doing for many years now," states McCrum. "Events and commercial operators have discovered Squamish for the amazing place it is over the years, and it will be a victim of its own success should there be no vehicle in place to return investment into local trails."
District trails co-ordinator Todd Pope said the proposed new special events policy is intended to offset damages caused by increased traffic from such events.
"It's to have events put back into the trails that they are using," said Pope.
The district is also taking steps to ensure local and out-of-town companies using Squamish trails have municipally-issued business licenses. It is a first step in making sure commercial users pitch in.
It is hoped the policies can be established quickly since, as McCrum stated, trail damage is increasing with commercial operators shuttling increasing numbers of riders up the Diamond Head area during wet conditions, leaving local volunteers to clean up the mess.
Some event organizers already contribute to the quality of the trails by their own volition. For instance, Test of Metal Inc. and BC Bike Race each contributed $5,000 last year, part of which funded a new bridge at George's Crossing.
But a lack of government funding is another problem, said Test of Metal president Cliff Miller. Squamish is being touted as a mountain bike and general outdoor haven, but the trails that attract tourism are receiving little support from levels of government that should be taking greater leadership roles.
"It's going to take the government, and that's the district, the SLRD [Squamish-Lillooet Regional District] and the province, to get off their butts," said Miller, who is also vice-president of SORCA.
"If the Zamboni is broken do you call minor hockey to fix the Zamboni or do you call the district? Trails are broken and we've called and called and called and nobody is listening."
Local trails are difficult to manage because there are so many different entities involved - whether it's Squamish Nation, Crown, District of Squamish or private owners. Meanwhile, the majority of trails are unauthorized.
The newly renamed Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts (MOTCA) - formerly the Ministry of Tourism, Sports and the Arts - and the SLRD formed a partnership to establish trails as part of a management plan. Once certain key trails are established by the government the groups can start contributing funding for maintenance, said MOTCA trail manager John Hawkings.
Hawkings said establishing trails takes time because they have to work with other interests like those of the Squamish Nation and timber tenure holders.
"We all hope that we will make significant progress this spring. We recognize and sympathize with the mountain bike and other trails communities who are frustrated that this has taken so long," said Hawkings.
"The ministry recognized that in order for us to have a marketable product there has to be levels of support for the trails at all levels of government. So we're committed to developing the product and working with the volunteers in supporting it."
