“There has been a lot happening with trails in the regional district,” CAO Bill Newell told the regional district board of directors at the May 19 meeting of the board.
Diane Vaykovich, Special Projects Coordinator, presented an informational report on trail progress in the regional district to the board in the community services meeting.
Locally, things are moving forward with respect to license agreements for the Similkameen trail.
BC Transportation and Financing Authority (BCTFA) recently advised that all documents are in place to complete the license agreement with the regional district. BCTFA are currently preparing a list of known encumbrances on the trail to finalize as part of their internal requirements. At the current time, BCFTA are performing a governance review that may affect the license agreement, they anticipate a few weeks to complete the review.
BCTFA is prepared to issue short term access and construction permits for any immediate required works of the Similkameen Trails Society.
“The BCFTA has all the necessary info from which to create licenses for the regional district,” Vaykovich told the board, “ I believe the BCFTA is currently undergoing a governance review, which is holding things up, but the regional district can get temporary permits in the interim.”
The Similkameen Trails Society desire acess to the dike or dry river bed from Kobau Park. The complexity of ownership, riparian rights, accretion claims has resulted in the regional district seeking legal advice. The file is currently in the hands of the regional district solicitor. There is ongoing discussion between the regional district and private property owners in the area.
A trails stewardship meeting was held on May 5 in which topics of discussion included:
- governance.
- enforcement.
- risk management insurance.
- partnership agreements in the Trans Canada Trail corridor.
- regional trail operations and maintenance budgeting.
- invasive plant presentation.
Trail stewards identified ongoing large rock falls, invasive plants, motorized vehicle use, equestrian use and shrinking volunteer numbers as major challenges facing their groups. Stewards will submit rock fall work to the regional district to assist in removal. The next steward meeting will include sessions on how to increase volunteer numbers on the trail, i.e. through Geocash, establishing a trail volunteer webpage, communications blog, and providing volunteer support association contacts.
Along the Kaleden to Okanagan Falls portion of the southern Kettle Valley line, it had been determined that the regional district’s license of occupation application does not require ministry sponsorship and has unparked the regional district’s application and assigned to a land officer for review. The application will require a referral to First Nations, other government agencies, local governments, and the general public. A decision regarding the application should be made within 60 days after completion of the First Nations consultation process. Regional district staff and the electoral area director recently met with the Penticton Indian Band Chief Kruger which resulted in a letter of support to the minister. First Nations support would expedite the application process.
Provincial records indicate an archeological site recorded on or may extend into the property. Before there are any alterations to the land it is necessary that a qualified consulting archaeologist determine the steps in managing impacts to the achaeological site. Any disturbance of an archaeological site without a permit is a breach of the legislation.
A few members of the Kaleden and Okanagan Falls communities are interested in forming a stewardship group and would fall under the recreation commissions in each area to provide members the necessary insurance. These community members participated in the trail stewardship meeting in early May.
Concerning the KVR section between the Whatley property and Keogan Park in Okanagan Falls, Vaykovich reported that the license of occupation, held by the Whatley family, has been included in the Kaleden to Okanagan Falls application. The Whatley’s request to have a danger tree removed and fencing erected along the length of their property has been completed on behalf of the province.
A Trails Master Plan will be undertaken this year, the purpose being to develop a comprehensive strategy for the identification and developmentof the regional trail network. A request for proposals is expected to be ready in the next couple of weeks.
Regional district Chair Dan Ashton made a subtle pitch for correctional facilities in the region by stating that Maple Ridge area was able to take advantage of the correctional facility’s work program there to get a lot of volunteer type labour done in that community.
Keremeos Director Walter Despot expressed interest in looking at the much larger trail picture in the Similkameen, seeing merit in developing a trail system that ran from the U.S. border all the way to Princeton as an ultimate goal.