Challenges
1. Operational funding for maintaining recreation sites and trails and the Spirit of 2010 Trail.
Draft Treasury Board submissions have been prepared requesting an uplift to the 2011/12 base budget of:
• $4.0M to keep recreation sites and trails open, safe for public use and
protect the Province’s investment; and
• $0.450M to maintain and operate the Sprit of 2010 Trail
2. Trails Strategy for BC
A Cabinet decision to endorse the draft Trails Strategy for BC is necessary for the Province to apply a proactive, collaborative and multi-jurisdictional approach to planning, developing and managing a world-renowned trail network in British Columbia.
3. Workload Stress
Recreation Sites and Trails staff identified stress due to excessive workload and limited resources as very high in the last three employee engagement surveys. Key areas are:
• Staff capacity to represent the interests of public recreation and participate in managing public recreation on Crown lands outside recreation sites and trails. For example, Callaghan Valley, Blue Mountain, Chilliwack, Tabor Mountain, Valemount/Blue River, Englishman Creek, Catamount Glacier, and Bear Creek.
• Staff capacity to process in a in a timely manner (land status clearance, referrals, including First Nations) the increasing number of recreation site and trail proposals submitted by user groups who have secured dollars from various funding sources and are ready to begin work immediately.
• Staff understanding of First Nations consultation requirements for managing recreation sites and trails as well as the capacity to fully engage with First Nations and establish relationships.