An article in the North Shore News titled 'A Different Track' back on Aug. 14th covered a story on how volunteers are trying to 'improve' the local mountain biking trails but, that there's also the underlying issue that some residents feel the sport is destructive to the mountain forest ecology. A letter to the editor ensued in response to the story on August 24th (North Van forests on trail to ruin) which explains some of the fundamental destruction the author believes is occurring. Environmentalists and the mountain bikers have been arguing back and forth for years with the mountain bikers espousing 'the trails should be for all' while the environmentalists exclaim the trails being made and maintained are 'anything but for all'.
23 comments:
This topic has been beaten to death on this blog. Mocreal and her ilk will never be satisfied until no one but her is allowed to use our public forests. And the only reason she is so vocal is because trail users dare to park on her street!
Come on John, there's plenty of other news to discuss!
Who's going to be the new Mayor for West Vancouver?
What's happening with the waterfront at the foot of Lonsdale? How is the closing (in ten days) of Extra Foods on Lonsdale going to impact the community? Come now, it's time to make your blog relevant to people outside the DNV!
Thanks for the ideas.
The issues you bring up are excellent for discussion.
I will also say in response that I for one happen to think the environment if it's at risk is as important as any issue we have.
How can an environment that has already been clear cut be at risk? The original ecosystem has been destroyed long ago. The area in question is a relatively small footprint dedicated to recreation. Keep it, maintain it and encourage all users to learn to share it.
I don't know whether you read the letter to the Editor by Elise Roberts in the NSNews on Aug. 24th but, she makes some excellent points.
The forests were clear cut at the turn of the century but, I wouldn't say the ecosystems were destroyed. I would say they have been set way back and they have struggled to return and human activities have hampered it and mountain biking is one of those activities that is signifigant.
The destruction of ecosystems and particularily biodiversities is a planetary wide threat. I have even heard DNV staffers say this at District Workshops on sustainability which I have attended.
Any footprint in our remaining forests that destroys biodiversity is a foot print that should be questioned. We should be setting a responsible example in the District.
Thank you, John. If you click "Mocrael" you can see that DNV is very much continuing to build those Disneyfied amusement park structures on Fromme. NSMBA denies it. Pictures speak the truth.
As long as the DNV citizens -- most of whom do not mountain bike -- are paying for the "Free Ride" of the few, this issue will keep coming back to haunt DNV and those mountain bikers who hate to hear the Truth.
Check out what your hard-earned tax dollars are paying for, with this DNV-hired trail crew (yes, hired) "hard at work". This is just one of those many "necessary wooden structures" DNV has built all over Mt. Fromme. Busy little chainsaw beavers they are...
How is the wanton destruction of DNV's Natural Capital going to affect future generations during this time of climate change? The feeble arguments I keep hearing from mountain bikers like anon 8:25am is "we can destroy the forest again, because it was destroyed before". Let's get real here, folks.
All that digging, cutting and building mountain bikers love to do is not leaving a small footprint. No matter how hard NSMBA TAP and DNV would try to convince you otherwise. But those people who do not understand the biology of ecological systems may still be fooled by the mountain bikers and their supporters inside DNV.
What about the safety issues and the taxes that pay for people who become injured because of this "extreme sport?"
No hikers or soft bike riders go near these "trails" and they are not trails, they are the ruination of the forest.
Needed - someone to start a new blog with topics of interest to City residents. How about anon 9.29 or the subject of municipal auditor and comments of Mussatto in NS News today?
I'd rather see the mountain bikers contained to this one area, accessible by all, than have them spread out all over the forests. Look at the bigger picture folks! This is a local recreation area and is being treated as such. When you have this access so close to the city you have to expect that it is going to be used. Again, this topic has been beaten to death and is not going be resolved on this little blog. All the usual suspects are going to pretend they stand for the environment, when the reality is that they don't want strangers passing through their neighborhood to use 'their' forest trails. NIMBYism at its worst.
If we want to talk about CNV issues, ask why Loutet Park was turned into a dirt jump bike park recently by CNV Council? The celebration of this park's destruction was painful to watch. The dirt jumps were built illegally, and then the scofflaws made some sort of deal to keep those eyesore dirt jumps in Loutet Park, with help to build more of the same. It is just as bad as what they are doing in DNV forests! They call it a Bike Skills Park: Really just a spring board for doing stupid bike tricks in DNV's forests.
Anon 9:36
what page is the "subject of municipal auditor and comments of Mussatto in NS News today"
Anon 9:36,
More topics for the CNV are always welcome but to imply that this topic is not of interest to City residents?
We all share the same air, water, and soil which we all completely depend on.
I checked the North Shore News for Weds. and Friday on line and came up short finding the article on Mussatto.
Anon 9:36, Any chance you would provide a link as a comment and I will post it. Perhaps it was earlier issue than this Weds. or Friday?
Trevor Lautens column Friday
Seems nothing much has changed with the mountain bikers' tired arguments.
Does anybody remember "Anon E. Moose" from Club Tread conservation forum? Click on the "Moose" to set it loose! "Synchro"? "LeeL"? Feel the blast from the past, people.
There were more concerned people, not just M.C., speaking out back then. Only now it the District of North Vancouver doing most the damage to our forest on Fromme.
Mayor Walton has a new election campaign poster out already. Click on the "Moose" to set it loose.
Scroll down until you see the picture with the caption:
PARADE MARSHAL
His Worship, Mayor Richard Walton
Pomp and ceremony to the parade return was provided by His Worship Mayor Richard Walton, just back from a spill while riding in the Chilcotin Mountains. Fresh wounds and fractures could not keep this man from supporting his community. All the more reason that Mayor Walton has earned the mountain biker vote in the District of North Vancouver.
(North Shore Overlord Race)
The "Moose" would not be amused.
John, where did the ugly mountain bike picture with your post come from ? Where is it? Horrible.
Word. The DNV hired Fromme Mt. mtb trail crew has been let go by DNV. Did they run out of money?
ha ha ha local government running out of money. Like that will ever happen
Don't laugh...
There have been approximately 600 municipal bankruptcy petitions filed in the USA, according to a March 2011 article. That is 600 filings among all municipal corporations, which includes municipal governments (approximately 19,000 according to the U.S. Census), towns (16,000), counties (4,000), taxing districts (too many to count), municipal utilities, and school districts.
In short, the incidence of municipal bankruptcies is beyond rare, and that number is growing.
Mountain bikers claim they are growing in numbers. Bicycle Retailer magazine has put that statement to bed. The peak of mountain biking has come and gone a few years ago.
The GranFondo bike road race has grown exponentially from 4,000 to 7,000 within one year. Now those are numbers that speak! People will see the intelligence of riding on the roadways and road biking will be cool again.
The city area is good for bikers, especially on weekends. The mountain area is good for wild life. So the bikers should leave the black bears, cougars, and other wild animals alone in their rightful habitant.
As we know, conservation officers prefer to shot rather than taser problematic animals. But problematic bikers don't get the pity by animal lovers when a biker breaks a leg. It's time to use reason instead of arrogance. Furthermore, the mountains are being invaded by housing and civilization. Soon, in the next 10 years, we will be less mountains for animals and more hills for bikers. Not good for the Green Party.
It will be good news for all mountain biker if they get a new trail. You know there are few trails here for a mountain biker. If they get some new trials, I think it will helpful for them to show us more entertain.
Post a Comment