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Alberta mountain bikers banding together to fight clearcut of two
popular riding areas
(HTM) Source
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Alberta's mountain bikers are working together with hikers and other
user groups to oppose two planned clearcuts that would decimate two
popular riding areas. Moose Mountain Bike Trail Society (MMBTS) is
working together with Bragg Creek Trails Association (BCTA) and other
user groups to oppose to planned logging on Moose Mountain and West
Bragg Creek.
Located less than an hour outside of Calgary, Alta. in the Kananaskis
area, the two mountains are massively popular with Albertans and with
visitors. About 738 hectares, combined, is slated to be logged as
early as 2025.
To oppose the planned logging, GROW Kananaskis has two planned actions
this week. There is also an online petition that currently has over
17,400 signatures calling for change.
### Growth in recreation up against outdated logging plans
Moose Mountain and Bragg Creek are both massively popular riding
areas. That's due to their proximity to Calgary. But it is also the
result of thousands of hours of volunteer work by both organizations
(some of which, both organizations point out, was funded by the
province). The current harvest plan is the result of an agreement that
dates back to 2005, long before the explosive growth of recreation in
the two ares.
For Jeff Woodgate of GROW Kananaskis, the change in how the areas are
being used demands a reconsideration of the decades-old agreement that
the current Forest Management Agreement (FMA) comes out of.
"The FMA was based on an agreement that was established circa 2005,
and since that time there has been immense change in the area.
Recreational usage of this relatively small zone has taken off, driven
by the creation of trails systems and supporting infrastructure,"
Woodgate argues. "The government needs to audit the agreement,
appropriately value the different usages, and weight the impacts of
clearcutting this area on its population."
The current harvest plan was presented by Spray Lakes Sawmills. In
November 2023, West Fraser acquired SLS. West Fraser is hosting an
open house Wednesday, May 8 to allow public consultation on the West
Bragg and Moose Mountain harvest plan as well as another in the upper
Highwood watershed.
A volunteer trail maintenance day on Moose Mountain. Photo: Michael
Swierczek (@swierczeklife)
### Aiming for balance between industry and recreation
The conflict between logging and recreational groups isn't new. MMBTS
executive board says they do not oppose all logging, but question the
current value of the two proposed cuts. They say that, for their
users, the current plan doesn't add up.
"MMBTS is not anti-logging, but we're not excited about logging
activities that impact our trails. As stewards of the trails, area
stakeholders, and Alberta Forestry & Parks (AFP) partners, MMBTS needs
to use our voice to ensure the best possible outcome for the impacted
trails. We have invested many years, many, many hours of manual
labour, and hundreds of thousands of dollars to build this incredible
trail network that is used by thousands of riders each year."
These factors weren't considered in the original FMA as, when it was
created MMBTS didn't exist. Nor did Bragg Creek Trails (BCT).
"There was no advocate for the much smaller community of mountain
bikers and hikers," says the organizations excutive. Now, MMBTS alone
has 1,750 annual members. That's up from around 750 in 2019. "The
primary use of the Moose Mountain and West Bragg areas has shifted to
recreation, and the number of visitors impacted is in the hundreds of
thousands each year between the two."
As the objection to the plans gains public momentum, MMBTS continues
to try work with West Fraser Cochrane (WFC) and AFP, through multiple
meetings over several years, to advocate for a better plan.
"We're questioning their models, we're providing trail and user data,
and we're sharing the feedback we're getting from our members. And
we're continuing with our trailbuilding plans," the MMBTS executive
says. "We've seen positive changes because of this work that will
lessen the impacts of the logging on our trails. But the impacts are
still there, and we will continue to advocate for a better outcome."
Many thousands of hours of volunteer work are embedded in the two
trail networks. Photo: Michael Swierczek (@swierczeklife)
### Social cost outweighs potential profit
For Grow Kananaskis, the objective is clear.
"GROW Kananaskis feels that these two maps, (the harvest plan is
presented as two zoomed in maps directly overlying the trail system)
need to be omitted from West Fraser Timber's harvest plan entirely,"
Woodgate explains. "There is no partial solution that doesn't either
negatively impact the nature experience for the users or reduce the
harvest to the point that it is no longer economically viable."
For mountain bikers specifically, the maps show the planned clearcuts
will impact a long list of trails in both areas. On Moose, Pneuma,
Sulphur Springs, Race of Spades and, just recently completed in the
last few years, 7-27 all overlap with the cut. Two nearly completed
trails, one climb trail and one downhill trail, will be impacted. This
after nearly five years in development, according to the online
petition.
The planned cuts would come with a social cost, in time and resources
put into developing these trails. For many, that exceeds what profit
West Fraser could ever extract through logging. The impact of
clearcuts on such a popular recreation area doesn't just sacrifice
work already put into the network. It will also impact the future
benefits. This includes both in the benefits of recreation and
economic impact of related businesses, in a way that Woodgate says,
weighed against the West Fraser's projected profit from this specific
cut (neither Grow Kananaskis or MMBTS oppose logging in general), does
not add up for Albertans.
> ### Managing public lands "for all Albertans"
In the time between when the FMA for West Bragg and Moose Mountain was
first negotiated and when the current plan was announced, much has
changed. As mentioned, MMBTS and Bragg Creek Trails did not, as
organizations, exist to be part of those negotiations. Over time, both
Grow Kananaskis and MMBTS, what is in the public's interest has
changed.
"The primary use of the Moose Mountain and West Bragg areas has
shifted to recreation, and the number of visitors impacted is in the
hundreds of thousands each year between the two," the MMBTS executive
says. "Infrastructure in the area has been adapted specifically to
accommodate recreational trail users, with government-funded
improvements to parking areas, day use facilities, and trail building
and maintenance. The density of the trail networks has increased
drastically with the addition of hundreds of kilometers of trails
between the two networks."
No matter what happens with the current plans, MMBTS isn't going to
stop working to develop the network it maintains.
"We will still be here and we will still use and maintain our trails
long after the loggers have left, but the user experience will be
greatly diminished. We value the trees, the soil, the wildlife
habitats and the vistas we ride through just as much as we do the flow
of the trail, and this value can't be repatriated by a stumpage fee."
Woodgate says the costs to the public now clearly outweigh any public
benefits that logging arguably has.
"The Government of Alberta is responsible for managing public lands
for all Albertans. 20 years ago they made a decision to manage this
specific area in a manner that likely made sense for Albertans at that
time. Change has occurred and those decisions need to be revisited."
West Fraser's open house takes place Wednesday, May 8. Grow Kananaskis
is planning a protest ride, hike and climb up Moose Mountain on
Thursday, May 9. If you're not able to be physically present, there is
also an online petition objecting to West Fraser's planned clearcuts.
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