The Bridge River Valley Trail Committee had a productive year! We made many forward-moving steps, including hiring a Trail Coordinator, Kaitlin James, to help tackle administrative tasks and keep projects moving. With her help, the committee applied for Section 57 authorizations through Rec Sites and Trails BC for trails in the BRV. The trails applied for registration include the following:
- Stelly’s Trail (Gun Lake)
- Lick Creek Trail (Tyaughton)
- Taylor Creek Trail (Tyaughton)
Applications were submitted to the Kamloops Front Counter BC office early this spring and we are hopeful to receive feedback on our registration application early next spring. Registering trails allows us as a committee to rehabilitate and maintain existing trails, as well as construct new structures along trails such as bridges, signs, and wooden features.
To acknowledge the valuable contributions that volunteers make to maintaining trails in the BRV, The committee also developed a Volunteer Recognition Program. This program will be based primarily on the cumulative hourly contribution made by volunteers to trail maintenance in the BRV. More details about this program can be found here.
Katlin coordinated with the Xwisten Lands Department and organized conducting a Heritage Assessment on the Gun Lake Rec Trails in the fall of 2023. Pending the results of the assessment, the BRVTC may have the opportunity to begin restoration work on these multi use, all season trails.
The Committee continuously reached out to the public in 2023 via varies social media platforms to build upon their volunteer contact list, gaining a better understanding of the communities willingness to participate in work bee days. In addition to this, the committee offered to sponsor 4 work bee events in the valley with a total of $250 for each event. However, due to the wildfire activity this year, there was no participation in this offer.
Kaitlin was also busy this year engaging with forestry organizations to ensure the protection and rehabilitation of trails in proposed cut blocks around Gun Lake. In 2024, the committee looks to continue a similar dialogue with forestry regarding trail rehabilitation in areas where trails were destroyed by the Downton Lake Wildfire or disturbed by fire guard construction.
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