CP Jihad - Moose Mtn, West Bragg trails in peril

[habernac]

The Calgary Mtn Bike Alliance has done some outstanding work in the Moose Mtn area the last few years. It's all in danger of being clear cut. Trails like Special K, Ridgeback, Race of Spades, Tom Snow and probably Pneuma will be all but ruined.

There is a meeting in Bragg Creek tomorrow. If you can, please attend and voice your opinions. If not, please, at minimum, write Minister Diana McQueen and your local MP a quick letter outlining your concerns.

http://www.cmbalink.com/node/726

[Delthefunky]

Nice hiking trails in the area too

[habernac]

I've been riding these trails for 17 years and would love my kids to be able to do the same. Help out if you can, thanks!!

[macker]

Do you have the email address to direct the letters/memos to? I didn't find it on the linked page. Hope they don't do to this area what they did to the West and South. Surprised this is even an option......

[Rerun]

As a 4x4 enthusiast all I can say is been there... seen that.

The government closes down trails saying we are destroying the environment by using these trails, then they allow logging companies to go in there and clear cut the whole f'king area and they cut more roads to haul the logs out and it ends up looking like a gd wasteland.

Hypocrisy at its worst.

[Redliner]

Definitely a worthy cause. The Moose Mountain / West Bragg area has provided me with countless days of amazing riding and I've recently started taking my kids there to teach them to mountain bike as well. It would be a travesty to have it all logged off.

You can contact the following ministers to voice your concerns:

Hon. Diana McQueen
Environment and Sustainable Resource Development
132 Legislature Building, 10800 97 Avenue,
Edmonton AB T5K 2B6
draytonvalley.devon@assembly.ab.ca
780 427-1800

Minister of Tourism Parks & Recreation
Hon. Christine Cusanelli
calgary.currie@assembly.ab.ca
(780) 427-1800 or (403) 246-4794

Hell, why stop there. Take it right to the top:

Premier Alison Redford
132 Legislature Building, 10800 97 Avenue,
Edmonton AB T5K 2B6
calgary.elbow@assembly.ab.ca
780 427-1800

I've sent my emails. Come on, let's see the power of CP in action....

[Bill Bumface]

Why do they have to pick one of the spots that is full of infrastructure that leads to a happy, fit portion of the population? Isn't there a crap load of trees to cut down elsewhere? I'm sure that's a simplistic view, but I'd say well over half of the mountain biking done near Calgary takes place in that small area.

[WCan_Kid]

Originally Posted by hulkrogan

Why do they have to pick one of the spots that is full of infrastructure that leads to a happy, fit portion of the population? Isn't there a crap load of trees to cut down elsewhere? I'm sure that's a simplistic view, but I'd say well over half of the mountain biking done near Calgary takes place in that small area.

The environnmental groups are trying to keep almost everbody out of the b/c, the only reason mtn bikers, atv riders, dirt bikers, etc have any place to go is because these areas are multi-use with allowances for industry.

I know cyclists tend see themselves as "better" than other off-road users in an environmental sense, but the militant eco crowd doesn't so much care whether there's a motor attached or not. A bicycle is as much a "machine" as a dirtbike and they're armed with numerous studies to back that up.

Unfortunately it's rapidly becoming an all or nothing deal, either rec users share with industry or nobody gets to use the land.

Backcountry users are going to have band together and stop bickering amongst themselves if we're going to have any chance at our children having these areas available. As long as mtn bikers hate atv riders, skiers hate sledders, everybody hates 4x4 drivers, etc the only voice powerful enough to keep access open is that of the big industrial users.

[You Need a Thneed]

I sent off an email, too. We don't get out as much as we used to, but my family and I have been mountain biking in that area for around 20 years, back to the time when even front suspension bikes were just being thought of, and back before many of the current trails were even there.

I'd hate to see the beauty of that area wiped out.

[macker]

Originally Posted by WCan_Kid

The environnmental groups are trying to keep almost everbody out of the b/c, the only reason mtn bikers, atv riders, dirt bikers, etc have any place to go is because these areas are multi-use with allowances for industry.

I know cyclists tend see themselves as "better" than other off-road users in an environmental sense, but the militant eco crowd doesn't so much care whether there's a motor attached or not. A bicycle is as much a "machine" as a dirtbike and they're armed with numerous studies to back that up.

Unfortunately it's rapidly becoming an all or nothing deal, either rec users share with industry or nobody gets to use the land.

Backcountry users are going to have band together and stop bickering amongst themselves if we're going to have any chance at our children having these areas available. As long as mtn bikers hate atv riders, skiers hate sledders, everybody hates 4x4 drivers, etc the only voice powerful enough to keep access open is that of the big industrial users.

Or learn to free ride like in "Where the Trail Ends"

[macker]

Originally Posted by hulkrogan

Why do they have to pick one of the spots that is full of infrastructure that leads to a happy, fit portion of the population? Isn't there a crap load of trees to cut down elsewhere? I'm sure that's a simplistic view, but I'd say well over half of the mountain biking done near Calgary takes place in that small area.

True. Here I was thinking that they were paving the road to WBC parking lot and widening things out including making the bridge bigger for better access for trail users. Guess they are laying the ground work for the logging trucks to come in and ruin the area.

[WCan_Kid]

Originally Posted by macker

Or learn to free ride like in "Where the Trail Ends"

Heh. I lived in Turner Valley as a kid and grew up riding game & cattle trails west of town, then moved to Van in the late 80's as actual mtn biking was getting fired up. It was all un-ridden terrain then.

Been fighting this fight for a long time now.

[habernac]

Originally Posted by WCan_Kid

The environnmental groups are trying to keep almost everbody out of the b/c, the only reason mtn bikers, atv riders, dirt bikers, etc have any place to go is because these areas are multi-use with allowances for industry.

I know cyclists tend see themselves as "better" than other off-road users in an environmental sense, but the militant eco crowd doesn't so much care whether there's a motor attached or not. A bicycle is as much a "machine" as a dirtbike and they're armed with numerous studies to back that up.

Unfortunately it's rapidly becoming an all or nothing deal, either rec users share with industry or nobody gets to use the land.

Backcountry users are going to have band together and stop bickering amongst themselves if we're going to have any chance at our children having these areas available. As long as mtn bikers hate atv riders, skiers hate sledders, everybody hates 4x4 drivers, etc the only voice powerful enough to keep access open is that of the big industrial users.

This one is being hidden in the guise of a fire prevention for the Bragg Creek townsite. If you live in the woods, there is an inherent risk of fire. And if that risk is too much, why don't they move to Calgary? What's the use of living in the trees if you cut them all down?

[BlackArcher101]

I think it's important to note here in order to balance this discussion that the primary goal of this is for the FireSmart program, not commercial logging. It seems a lot of comments such as "Isn't there a crap load of trees to cut down elsewhere?" are off the cuff and don't factor this in. In order to complete the goal of slowing the spread of fire and protecting structures and lives, you can't just select any logging area.

Having said that, it would certainly be sad to see trails which have been groomed and built over the years disappear. A balance between effective fire control and trail use must be attempted at all costs. However, if all other fire control options are officially deemed ineffective, I think the goal of fire safety should trump recereational land use.

This isn't a "guise", this is a real program and one that would have probably helped Slave Lake in their disaster had they decided to take part. From the maps I looked at, the majority of trees will be intact. This isn't a mass clear cut of all trees to the West.

[habernac]

If they can't figure out how to do this without destroying a recreation area that thousands of Albertans use then they aren't looking hard enough.

[BlackArcher101]

I do admit though that the presentations are confusing and seem incomplete. Something this complex and having a large impact and they can only rummage a barely 10 page report? Brutal.

[troutman]

Fingers wiggling

[WCan_Kid]

I haven't been following this as close as I maybe should, the hype seems to be about slash and burn clearcutting of the area for the benefit of Spray Lakes Sawmills.

The BCEC writeup on the braggcreek.ca site mentions nothing about fire prevention, just the usual stop industrial use talking points.

If it's truly about fire prevention things get sticky, a forest either needs to burn or be logged occasionally. Of course, that's often just an excuse used by the loggers to justify access so I agree with BlackArcher on that count - more info is definitely needed.

CPAWS has a survey up regarding land use in the eastern slopes that may be worth filling out. Not sure about the link etiquette...

[Hevishot]

I do not know how many people are aware of the logging that takes place within Maclean Creek FLUZ (Forest Land Use Zone). But the RMDRA (Rocky Mountain Dirt Riders) have close ties with Spray Lake Sawmills and work with SRD in saving the single track dirt bike terrain. Everything trails marked with ribbons or marked by GPS are given to the logging company so they know where the trails are in the cutblocks where they are clearing. For the most part they leave the trails alone. It is usually the ATV and 4x4 crowd who go poach trails and make a mess of the place. Unfortunately that leads to everyone being painted with the same brush.

[flamesfever]

I believe they should ban clearcut logging altogether, and get back to selective logging only, particularly in areas with high values other than timber.