Province tables new trails management and preservation act

Nixon added that with this legislation, the provincial government is “fulfilling our platform commitment for a Trails Act that helps advance our conservation agenda and supports quality outdoor recreation for generations to come.”

In all, the province has about 13,000 kilometres of designated and managed trails, but there are hundreds of thousands of kilometres of unintended trails.

Alberta’s current legislation for trails on public land has not been updated since 1979. An example used by the province in how the Trails Act will protect the environment is off-highway vehicles (OHVs), which are being used quite often and can put a strain on trails. If passed, the legislation will provide clearer direction on when and where OHVs can be used.

The province added that the legislation will account for the concerns and needs of Indigenous peoples. Officials say it will be able to help locate and manage trails in a sustainable way that “is sensitive and responsive to nearby [Indigenous] communities and the ways in which they use the land.”

The Trails Act will strive to strengthen trail partnerships with volunteer organizations to help maintain and improve the provincial trails system.

In a release, the province noted that the Trails Act will:

Establish the cornerstones for a sustainable trail management system on public land;
Enable trails to be safe and as needed designated for specific uses such as hiking or riding an OHV;
Enable improved trail planning, which will consider other land-uses and values;
Strengthen protection of trails so that Albertans can enjoy them for years to come;
Strengthen enforcement tools to prevent environmental damage and promote environmental stewardship of public land and;
Promote a bigger role for partners in building and maintaining trails.

If passed, the Trails Act will come into force upon proclamation, except the requirement for a Trail Management Plan, which will come into effect in spring 2022.

NDP Environment Critic Marlin Schmidt made the following statement in response to the introduction of Bill 79: Trails Act

“This bill gives Jason Nixon, the Minister of Environment and Parks, more power over Alberta’s trails.

“Clearly Albertans are skeptical of this minister’s track record with managing our public lands.

“He wanted to open up our beautiful Rocky Mountains for coal mining, he imposed a fee on nature with the Kananaskis Conservation Pass, and he tried to sell or close more than 170 Alberta parks.

“How can Albertans trust him to care for our 13,000 kilometres of designated and managed trails, and hundreds of thousands of kilometres of unmarked trails?”

Meantime, according to the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y), the announcement does not clearly address the long-term protection of sensitive lands, waters, and wildlife in the province.

“Our public lands provide rich habitat for wildlife, some of the world’s most intact mountain habitats and opportunities for outdoor recreation,” says Hilary Young, Y2Y’s senior Alberta program manager.

“But this Act seems to speak for the few, not the majority of users. This is another example where the province has not engaged in fulsome consultation with all Albertans about a decision that has a significant impact on Crown lands in our mountains and foothills.”

(With files from rdnewsNOW)

by Sheldon Spackman/rdNewsNow

Province tables new trails management and preservation act

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