Interesting… $850,000 to implement the study, eh?
Official suggests new way to fix mountain-bike trails on Fromme
By Charlie Smith
A senior bureaucrat with the District of North Vancouver has proposed creating a nonprofit society to raise money to maintain the trails on Fromme Mountain.
In a report going to the district council on Monday (July 7), Susan Rogers has suggested that a legally incorporated society could be called "Friends of the North Shore Mountain Society".
Rogers, section manager of parks, planning, and environment services, stated in her report that this society could provide a revenue stream for maintaining trails, some of which have become a Mecca for mountain bikers.
"At this time, the potential for significant commercial activities on the public lands of the District managed properties on Fromme Mountain is viewed as limited," Rogers wrote. "Nevertheless, there is a need for ongoing capital and operating expenses to maintain a network of top quality and safe trails for public use."
In her report to council, Rogers suggested that a nonprofit society could possibly obtain status as a registered charity, which would enable it to issue tax receipts to donors.
"The Society will also be in a position to access grants from time to time which would not be available to municipal applicants," she added. "The Society could also pursue innovative fund raising initiatives with outdoor equipment manufacturers, distributors and retailers."
Rogers's report projects $850,000 in capital costs over five years for trail work, bridges, signage, and staging areas to implement the Fromme Mountain Trail Classification Study.
In addition, she suggested another $90,000 would be required annually to cover the cost of three seasonal staff rangers.
Rogers's report is an attempt by the district to address controversies about mountain biking on the North Shore, which was the subject of Georgia Straight cover stories in 2007 and in 2005.
The 2007 article drew an irate response from one reader, who was fed up with mountain bikers on local trails.