Land use zone additions, changes.

[Gardenome]

I don't want to be just discovering this 4x4 world only to have it squeezed out of existence. Let me know if you need anything from me. I'll make connections if necessary!


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[Red90]

I don't want to be just discovering this 4x4 world only to have it squeezed out of existence. Let me know if you need anything from me. I'll make connections if necessary!

Really, I think it is clear from many decades of trying that there is nothing that can be done for the 4x4 community.  We are the easy target to appease the greenies and they normally ban us first and that is enough to make people happy.  Huge efforts have been put forth and there has been zero result.  Most clubs have gone completely underground when discussing trails.  They have strict policies of posting no public photos and never, ever discussing the location of trails.  It is a long depressing topic.

[Trevor]

I don't want to be just discovering this 4x4 world only to have it squeezed out of existence. Let me know if you need anything from me. I'll make connections if necessary!


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Up in the northern part of the province we do have it slightly better than the folks down south. North of the Brazeau you have fewer PLUZ's, and those that are there don't cover as much of the trail networks as is the case down south.

It's a bit of a double edged sword though. I think back 25 years to the places I used to 4x4, camp, and fish along the east slopes, and most of them are now either coal mines, forested out, or off limits because they are now private roads owned by oil companies. So what hasn't been added to a fiefdom up north, has basically been sold to a corporation. Pick your posion.

I'd be all for organizing, but one needs significant business/money interests involved to grease the long list of palms that will be in our way. John is spot on imo, it is a terribly corrupt environment that is not easily navigated.

Quite honestly, this is part of the reason I go to Moab every year. They get it there, and they welcome off-roaders. Its an impressive, well run community...and the trails are epic. So, that's where I go to get my wheeling in.

[B-Red]

I do recognize the challenges when dealing with a lobby effort with politicians for policy. We went through that as a Consulting Engineering Industry. Within five years, we were able to establish a working selection and reward model on highway and bridge projects with the province. Last week, after ten year effort, we advanced the selection process to be based on Quality not fees on projects. This became the law for procurement of engineering selection. This was also coordinated with municipalities, other provinces and Ottawa.
It takes time for something like this. For offroading, it will take some time. Ignoring it by us will make such sport and culture vanish for our grandkids.
Sure as hell I am not hiking for 15 km to go camping and fishing in Rubys lake.
As for the private roads, dialogue and negotiation is the key...not enforcement.
4x4 is as critial to hunting, fishing, logging and exploration. We just have to organize.
Let's identify the punch list and then form the lobby. Our sport is not a cheap sport and we do have a voting voice!

[Red90]

I'll provide some history of recent things in Reader's digest format.

Back in the beginning, all forestry land was open for motorized use....  In the mid 70's Kananaskis country was created and motorized access was lost for that 4200 square kms except for the small Mclean Creek area.  The land was still open for forestry, oil and other tourist development.  Many people worked hard at maintaining access...

In the early 2000s, there was a lot of concern over the parties that happen on May long weekends in the Waiparous/Ghost area and damage from OHV use.  The party aspect and most of the damage was, in truth, mitigated and had come to an end through better enforcement and construction of fencing.  Trail damage was very limited to a few locations next to roads, making it visible.  99.9% of the 1200 km of trails still looked the same as when they where constructed in the 50s and 60s.  In any case, SRD wanted to created a trail management plan in order to minimize environmental impact.  The various groups of OHV users were on board and keen to produce a sustainable system for this 1500 square km area.  AURS, http://www.aurs.org/ was formed as single body to represent 4x4 and ATV users and received huge support from all of the clubs and many individuals.

Meetings were started with SRD.  SRD did not know anything about the trail network and asked AURS to help develop a map and make decisions on which trails would be sustainable and locations that made sense for projects.  The 4x4 clubs went out and mapped by GPS all of the trails (a huge project), providing the data and maps to SRD with recommendations.  Shortly after this point, the meetings stopped and SRD went quiet.  About a year or two later, the SRD formed the Ghost FLUZ along with regulations and a trail map.  Of the original 1200 km of trails, 600 km was designated for ATVs and 50 km was designated for 4x4s.  The definitions of ATVs was solely on width (65").  When asked why trails were set as ATV only, SRD stated it was only because of width.  The majority of the trails are a solid 50 feet wide or more, some 200 feet wide, so it was quite obviously all lies.

In any case, people did not throw in the towel.  SRD stated that they would open up more trails and formed a framework to achieve this.  For the next few years, 1000s of manhours were put in building bridges and fences.  Huge efforts were put in to add trails to the network, meeting every little requirement of the SRD.  Not one trail was ever added.  It became clear that no matter how much work was put in and how many boxes were ticked, the SRD was not ever going to improve access.  The only single gain was an extra 50 km of 4x4 trails that were opened for winter use.  In reality, they could make all ATV trails open for 4x4 in the winter as trail damage in not possible.  SRD agree to the argument, but refuse to make any changes.

The May long weekend following the creation of the Ghost FLUZ, many of the high school parties moved to the "Indian Graves" area, a forestry area on the south border of Kananaskis.  The parties received a lot of media attention.  A week later, the Willow Creek FLUZ was created (with zero public input).  This new FLUZ allows for ATV use and no 4x4 use.  There was no rhyme or reason for the rules as the May long weekend problems had nothing to do with off road use.  It is a small FLUZ, but it is positioned, in concert with a newer park, that makes it impossible to access a larger forestry area.

Also during this period a large amount of "protected areas"were created.  These were created with no public input and done as quietly as is possible.  My guess is this lost a solid third of the land still available.

The end result was the elimination all 4x4 access within an hour of Calgary other than Mclean Creek and the 50 kms of trails in the Ghost.  The funnelling of all 4x4 use to such a small trail network has caused major damage to the trails making them harder and harder to traverse each passing year.  I would expect to see complete closure in the not too distant future as the trail network is too small to be maintainable.  Truck use in these areas has vastly diminished and most groups now travel further afield and are extremely careful to not make public the location of the trails they use.  What the government does not know about, they cannot close and nobody is willing to help them again.

It is not a fair playing field.  By closing areas to 4x4s, they can quickly and easily state they are doing something to protect the environment.  The media image of our use is horrible and that is all the public see.  We do not have the size to make any impact politically.  Nobody builds trucks for off road use any more.  99% of people just buy an ATV.  You can get nice big 4 door models for the whole family.  Trevor will remember our trip to North Kootenay pass a few years back.  We camped next to the trail and god knows how many ATVs drove by.  They looked at us like we were aliens.  They had never seen a truck on a trail.  One guy I chatted with was really concerned that we would be able to make it to the top.  It was a super easy trail.

Just go to BC......

[Matt H]

Yes, going out of the province/country seems to be only viable option available to us for the time being. Unless you want to risk driving trails illegally.

Don't loose all hope though as ATV's may yet be the savour of larger 4x4's. As they become larger and more powerful they encroach on the dimensions of smaller trucks. As John has already mentioned, Series Land Rovers already qualify by the width standards set forth.

In the last ten years ATV's have become more mainstream and ever bigger. It is a historical fact that any vehicle made for the North American consumer will alway increase in size and power. Usually to the detriment of the original units concept. Maybe all we need do is wait?

[B-Red]

Thank you John for the detailed history. Very informative. I am going to research the SRD and try to get a grin on their mandate and setup. There is always a way.
I have two quads and a dirt bike in my storage. They are collecting dust. A Defender or 4x4 has a much higher safety rating than any atv.

Trail damage and wild parties can still happen by atv and hickers. I went camping couple of years ago in Rockey Mountain House area towards the west by the Dam. The quads and their camps where everywhere. It was like NEWYORK Rush hour. They were not there to enjoy access and fishing. They were there to test machines and speed. Such activities can easily be provided in contained and regulated trail parks, like our old Alberta Safari.

[Rosco]

Interesting read indeed, the trails I know of down here are a good secret, seems like a few but not many of the locals know of them.

[Red90]

Interesting read indeed, the trails I know of down here are a good secret, seems like a few but not many of the locals know of them.

The CNP area is a different story.  I'm pretty sure all of the trails are public knowledge.  The CNP Quad Squad publishes a map in concert with SRD.  Are you saying you know trails that are not on the CNPQS map?

They have a close relationship with the local SRD and are keeping them open and for the time being, are all open to 4x4s as well.  I don't think there has been enough 4x4 use to upset the cart.  The CNPQS does massive amounts of work on trail and bridge maintenance.

There was talk before the SSRP, that the passes would be shut down, but it has not yet happened.

[Rosco]

One big area that I am thinking of isnt in the CNP area, crown land with open access for all at the moment.

The cnp seems to be mostly ATV's and side by sides, as all the times I have been there the only 4x4's I have seen were my own or who I was wheeling with.

[Red90]

I know their club is an ATV club, but their maps cover everything from Kananaskis to the border and into BC, not just the CNP area.  Most trails in these areas are open to both quads and trucks.  Have you had a look at them?  The have online versions in various formats for the whole area and they print a nice map that covers the southern half or so, available at the FasGas in Frank.

[Rosco]

I havent seen those maps, would you know where I could find the online versions?

Always meet at that gas station, next time I will pop in and see if I can find one there too.

[Red90]

I havent seen those maps, would you know where I could find the online versions?

Always meet at that gas station, next time I will pop in and see if I can find one there too.

Sure: PDF version here: http://www.quadsquad.ca/?q=node/39 and a few other options on the list at the left.  They also have tracklogs for a lot of trails.

For maps on the computer or GPS, I would use the Southern Alberta Trail Maps: http://albertatrailmaps.ca/

[Rosco]

Excellent, thank you!

I saw the albertatrailmaps.ca site before, but I was using an android tablet for my trail mapping, I recently got a toughbook which has a buit in gps, so I think I can use those maps properly now

[Red90]

Look like no more winter trips to Waiparous.  I guess we will need to head north next year.  Oh well.

We will probably need to wait a few weeks to see what is really closed, but the falls trip is gone certainly.

http://forum.calgaryjeep.com/index.php?topic=30716.msg0;topicseen#new

Just leaving the flood rehab trail meeting in Cochrane.
We will be losing all of our winter trails.
Any trail that crosses the waiporous will be closed.
We may gain a couple all season trails.

March 15 may be the last day to go to the falls.

We may gain some more trails if we get funding for bridges.