UCP says new bill will better protect Alberta’s trails
Posted Nov 2, 2021 2:59 pm.
Last Updated Nov 2, 2021 8:10 pm.
The United Conservative government is tabling legislation aimed at trails, saying the new bill will help better protect and manage Alberta’s trails.
“You’ll see more trail opportunities that you can use for recreation purposes,” Minister of Environment and Parks Jason Nixon said during a press conference Tuesday.
“You’ll see better water crossing, you’ll see better signage, better mapping. Those types of things are going to happen as the trail system is built up, but most importantly what you’re going to see is the historical trails that we care about as Albertans will remain protected so they can’t disappear from the landscape.”
More Albertans than ever before are getting outdoors and enjoying everything Alberta has to offer.
With the new Trails Act, we’re taking action to protect and preserve Alberta’s unrivalled beauty for generations to come.
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Nixon said the Trails Act is needed because current legislation hasn’t been updated since 1979, and the way Albertans use public land, including trails, has changed over the past 40 years.
“The trails act is a government platform commitment, a commitment that will establish the foundation for sustainable trail management systems on public lands, will enable trails to be designated for specific uses like hiking, or riding, or off-highway vehicles, will improve trail planning which will consider other land uses and values, and will strengthen protection of trails so Albertans can enjoy them for years to come,” he said.
“It will also enable better enforcement tools to prevent environmental damage, and protect and promote stewardship of public lands, and promote a bigger role for our partners inbuilding and maintaining our important trail system across the province.”
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The Trails Act is expected to cost $4.5 million per year.
Alberta Environment and Parks says the funding will be distributed to recreation organizations and volunteer groups through partnership agreements.
“Trails are such an important part of Alberta’s history and identity, helping us lead healthy lives and providing huge economic benefits through travel and tourism, and they are more popular than ever before. We are fulfilling our platform commitment for a Trails Act that helps advance our conservation agenda and supports quality outdoor recreation for generations to come,” Nixon added.
As part of this legislation, it will more clearly define where off-highway vehicles, like ATVs, can be used on trails as they can put a heavy strain on them.
There are over 13,000 kilometers of designated trails and hundreds of thousands of kilometers of unintended trails in the province.
The government defines unintended trails as the result of industrial exploration, industrial access, or a cumulative user trail or “other linear disturbance.”
If passed, the Trails Act will come into effect upon proclamation.
Section 5 of the act regarding the trail management plan for new trails would come into effect May 2022.
