Trail Stewardship Enhancement Project

Aug 8, 2023 | MBTA Initiatives

Members of the MBTA complete trail work at the 2022 MTB Tourism Symposium hosted at Silver Star Mountain Resort.

Members of the MBTA complete trail work at the 2022 MTB Tourism Symposium hosted at SilverStar Mountain Resort.

Project Overview: 

The Mountain Bike Tourism Association’s Trail Stewardship Enhancement Project has been awarded funding from the B.C. Destination Development Fund (DDF). The DDF aims to invest in projects that:
• Foster distinct and globally competitive destinations
• Strengthen a year-round visitor economy
• Increase community vibrancy and resident support for tourism; and
• Support sustainability, accessibility and inclusion.

The project contains two main components:

1) Refreshing or building between 40-60 trail information kiosks to help inform and educate trail users about the local trail network(s) and how to support the local group(s) that maintain them and ultimately provide a more consistent experience for local riders and visitors alike. Communication on signage will be site-specific, including trail information, risk mitigation and maps. This will include implementing the new Provincial Trail Signage Standards which are scheduled for release in fall of 2023.

2) Data collection will provide insights into the work done by trail organizations as well as volume estimates for trail users that will also differentiate between residents and visitors. With limited insight into the full scope of outdoor recreation in the province, this data will enhance our understanding of how widely utilized our trail systems are. For mountain biking groups looking to demonstrate how much their trails contribute to their local communities, collecting trail user data can help clubs to secure additional funding to support their activities and operations.

We will be hosting an event in the fall to provide an overview of the program and how it will work. Stay tuned for more information or feel free to email grant@mbta.ca with any questions.

Benefits of the Project 

The trailhead information kiosk component of the project will improve the experience of both residents and visitors by providing relevant information about the trails and how to enjoy them safely and respectfully. Benefits include:

• Encouraging trail users to support the organizations and businesses in the community that value and care for the trails to increase spending in the community and increase support for the trail organizations.
• Creating opportunities for clubs to deepen local partnerships by sourcing materials and labour costs related to project implementation in their home communities.
• Developing a first-ever province-wide data repository to assist trail organizations and land managers in allocating resources, acquiring support, and controlling impacts. An online dashboard will be developed to present the data for stakeholder access.
• Providing accurate annual metrics to better understand trail stewardship labour requirements, user volumes, and visitor dispersion across the province.
• Reducing risks by creating an informative, standardized signage system aligned with Provincial standards that will improve way-finding, outline current trail conditions, rank trail difficulty level to provide users with a more consistent experience.

Current Needs Evaluation

Our first step in delivering this impactful project will be to collaborate with RSTBC, permit holders and clubs to determine what resources are needed at each site to ensure each location is in alignment with the new Provincial Trail Standards. This may include constructing new kiosks and signage; or updating signage on existing kiosks if your club already has sufficient infrastructure in place.

Please take a few minutes to assess the current infrastructure you have in place at your local trails, and then identify what kind of assistance you require by filling out this brief survey. At the bottom of the survey, there is a section available for you to disclose any other advocacy issues your organization may be facing. The information collected will enable us to better understand how we can build capacity for assisting all the dedicated volunteer-based organizations who generously contribute to building and maintaining trails across the province.

ACCESS SURVEY

INTAKE FORM. Deadline extended to January 8th, 2024.