BC government policy on bike trails

The biggest problem with the draft is the insurance part. Getting insurance will be nearly impossible. What insurance company is going to insure a trail that is considered high risk and on public land that the club has little control over. Second if you do get insurance the first kid that brakes his arm on a stunt or the trail parents will sue because there will now be someone to sue. There are no wavers to sign because its open public land so a lawsuit is garenteed. I would rather my trail be illegal then to spend all that time and money just to have it closed anyways. I feel really sorry for the smaller comunities like nelson and such that have tourists come to there area just to ride there trails. It shows how stupid the goverment trully is. The have a tourist attracting sport that they haven't had to put any money into that is enviromentally friendly,keeps people of all ages active, including alot of young kids, and now they want to put in a policy thats unatainable and possibly dismantle these trails? If you want it to work then get rid of the insurance.

I haven't received any responses from MOTSA as yet. Anyone else read it and have any takes on it? See SORCA website for copies of the policy

Just a question about the insurance thing. How do skate parks get around it? Does the city pony up the funds for an insurance policy? Is it the responsibility of a skate club?
I know that the Kamloops skate park that went in a few years back was more than partially funded by the city. So what gives? Are we going through what the skaters went through in the late 80's and early 90's? Or is it a double standard?

To clarify a couple of points .
The fvmba will be the first to sign a contract for legal trails in BC to my knowledge,with Motsa.
Time line wise look to the first week in april /07 3to 5year deal.
This will cover Sumas mtn.
Insurance policy provider is or will be ? ( I don't know this exactly yet)
paid for by us,but we will be in line for a grant .
To date fvmba has received I thought $5K but it's acutually been $7K to assist the club in the legal mapping (already done now) and we have used close to $2K on trail tools and supplies of this.
While the policy is not entrenched in stone and is being fined tuned,motsa is motivated as is the fvmba.
MULTI USAGE TRAILS, fvmba realizes the more people who use your trails ,the more power in your numbers BUT.

NO HORSES OR MOTOCYCLES WILL BE ALLOWED ON THESE TRAILS!!

Building standards for heavy weight horses and motocycles ,ladders,log rides etc.. it ain't going to happen.
Better signage will plainly state NO MOTORIZED BIKES /QUADS /HORSES ALLOWED ON THESE TRAILS.
Hikers ,trail runners bikers all welcome.
We cannot and are not expected to make a play area for motorized equipment or horses. Any trail around here which horses have gone on has had big deep ruts and destroyed bridges, horses people love their animals only a fool would take his horse out on these trails.
Signage will tell them they are not allowed.
I think we would all just like things to keep on going as they have ,but
increased population ,more riders changing times--- pressure.
Trailbuilding our bible
IMBA trail solutions

So we will be looking to up the bar best we can,all trails will have filters so when you enter a double black diamond ,it will be clearly marked.
All our structures will be made to the highest quality we can,cedar,spiral galvanized nails,signage.
Already anything I make is made to last,no one hit wonders wanted here.
No unathorized trail building will be allowed,you want to make a trail ,join our group ,put in your suggestions,show up and work with us.
Those who think they can just go out into the woods and make a secret trail will learn that the secret will not last long,while looking they will most likely see old trails the forest has already taken back.
NO this policy is not perfect,but we all have to start somewhere.
The reason for being of the fvmba is for legal trails and more of them.
Providing the vehicle to get money and supplies out to our trail making directors/members.
So I guess you will be able to see what happens to the fvmba as time progresses because we are driving ahead.
Look to Misson' TFL of Red /Bear to be next as we move towards a plan with the district of Mission as well.
Time will be the ulitimate judge .
Gary Harder

Good stuff Gary. It'll be great to see how the Motsa guidelines work in practise

The jist of what Mike Peters of MOTSA said at the meeting is that the only way to guarantee the survival of our trails on crown land from logging, mining, development, etc. is to have the trails established as legal. Once they are legal they go in something called a gazette, that when anyone wants to do anything with the land, the trail shows up, then they have to get our permission to do anything on that land.

The club enters into an agreement with MOTSA for a specified amount of time (2 years was the example given) to maintain the trail to set standards (Whistler or IMBA standards for example). MOTSA is not opposed to stunts or double-black diamond difficulty level trails, as long as there is adequate signage, trail filters (squirrel-catchers), and go-arounds. There would be an annual inspection of the trail that someone has to sign off, to assure the government that the trail is being maintained to standards.

In exchange for this, MOTSA gives cash to the club. Mike mentioned that there are other government initiatives out there promoting healthy activity that will match any funding we get from MOTSA.

I think everyone at the FVMBA AGM felt that this would be a positive move for us. Five years ago, when the plans for the impending logging on Sumas were drawn up, FVMBA didn't exist. Now we have to sit around and wait for the logging and destruction of some trails. Once an agreement is signed, our trails should be safe in the future.

The biggest problem with the draft is the insurance part.

The MOTSA rep hinted that they will be able to help out with this. No details though.

The jist of what Mike Peters of MOTSA said at the meeting is that the only way to guarantee the survival of our trails on crown land from logging, mining, development, etc. is to have the trails established as legal. Once they are legal they go in something called a gazette, that when anyone wants to do anything with the land, the trail shows up, then they have to get our permission to do anything on that land.

The club enters into an agreement with MOTSA for a specified amount of time (2 years was the example given) to maintain the trail to set standards (Whistler or IMBA standards for example). MOTSA is not opposed to stunts or double-black diamond difficulty level trails, as long as there is adequate signage, trail filters (squirrel-catchers), and go-arounds. There would be an annual inspection of the trail that someone has to sign off, to assure the government that the trail is being maintained to standards.

In exchange for this, MOTSA gives cash to the club. Mike mentioned that there are other government initiatives out there promoting healthy activity that will match any funding we get from MOTSA.

I think everyone at the FVMBA AGM felt that this would be a positive move for us. Five years ago, when the plans for the impending logging on Sumas were drawn up, FVMBA didn't exist. Now we have to sit around and wait for the logging and destruction of some trails. Once an agreement is signed, our trails should be safe in the future.

MoTSA gives cash to the club?! Haven't heard that one yet……that's a gross simplization of the procedure and diligence that's going to be required of clubs….don't forgot 2 mill in liability insurance plus indemnifying the province against liability for any trail with a ttf (technical terrain feature) which can be manmade or natural……

FVMBA saw my comments on the text of the MOTSA policy right? It's posted on NSMB

You know, overall I'm thinking that all the MOTSA initiatives are good news, BUT….

remind me again why bikes need to be insured but skiers, hikers, quad operators, snow trikers, walkers, hikers, horsey people, dirt bikers, hang gliders, base jumpers, kayakers, mountaineers, rock-climbers, ultimate frsbee players, ice racers, paint ballers, and performance artists don't.

Just curious….

… in the 80's to be able to continue to access the Squamish spit. I was at some of the organizing meetings for what became the Squamish Windsurfing Society. The Society's whole reason for being was to lease access to the spit from Squamish Municipality on the condition that the Sociaty get liability insurance. Members then bought annual memberships or day passes to be able to sail there. I don't know if that is still the case, because in 1988 I found Nitinat Lake and never went back to the ice bath that is the Squamish River

MoTSA gives cash to the club?! Haven't heard that one yet……

MOTSA gave FVMBA $7000 in 2006.

You know, overall I'm thinking that all the MOTSA initiatives are good news, BUT….

remind me again why bikes need to be insured but skiers, hikers, quad operators, snow trikers, walkers, hikers, horsey people, dirt bikers, hang gliders, base jumpers, kayakers, mountaineers, rock-climbers, ultimate frsbee players, ice racers, paint ballers, and performance artists don't.

Just curious….

I've only just browsed through the text of the draft, but what I did see is that insurance is only required for trail systems with stunts. Trail systems with no stunts do not require liability insurance.

You know, overall I'm thinking that all the MOTSA initiatives are good news, BUT….

remind me again why bikes need to be insured but skiers, hikers, quad operators, snow trikers, walkers, hikers, horsey people, dirt bikers, hang gliders, base jumpers, kayakers, mountaineers, rock-climbers, ultimate frsbee players, ice racers, paint ballers, and performance artists don't.

Just curious….

My understanding is that the bikers don't need the insurance. The liability insurance is to cover the club that maintains the trails. We have to do the same thing with the snowmobiling club that I am in. We need the liability insurance on the area that we call home.