The Athabasca Recreational Trails Association ’s (ARTA) future involvement with the Peace River Trail (PRT) is up in the air. After investing four years of volunteer time and $1.
The Athabasca Recreational Trails Association ’s (ARTA) future involvement with the Peace River Trail (PRT) is up in the air.
After investing four years of volunteer time and $1.2 million into rebuilding the PRT, ARTA is considering taking a step back after the M.D. of Lesser Slave River asked them to hand over gate keys to parties who want to access the trail with trucks, after-market ATVs or side-by-sides that are wider than 65 inches, according to ARTA president Rob Woito.
This would force ARTA to go against their own policy regarding gate and trail restrictions.
The PRT, which had a grand reopening on Aug. 30 to mark the work done by ARTA, was rebuilt with three main users in mind: the ATV and side-by-side community, horse and wagon users, and snowmobiles in the winter.
It was also built to match guidelines outlined by Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation (ATPR), which state that ATVs and side-by-sides are no more than 65 inches wide.
When ARTA built the entrance gates along the trail, they did so to accommodate vehicles no more than 65 inches wide; wider vehicles or wagons require a key to open the gate.
ARTA knew that some people would want to use trucks or modified ATV ’s on the trail, but they stuck to their guns and followed the guidelines set out by ATPR; only those possessing keys can access the trail with wider vehicles, and they only do so for maintenance, emergencies, and special requests.
“We ’ve been asked in the past if we could hand over a key or open the gate for users who have equipment wider than 65 inches, and we ’ve said no, ” Woito said.
“We followed the guidelines identified by the government agency and our thinking was, where do we draw the line? If we allow 68 inches or 70 inches, then we ’ll get people coming and asking for 80 inches and for trucks, which are larger and heavier and will tear up the work we have done. We won ’t be able to control who accesses the trail and it becomes a liability issue. ”
Woito said that the PRT was built to accommodate two ATV ’s or snowmobiles being able to safely pass by each other, but when a truck is involved or a vehicle wider than 65 inches, it becomes a safety concern.
Woito said the ATV community has been accepting and understanding of the work that ARTA has done along their trail and the guidelines that they want people to adhere to.
“The rules were set in place from the get-go and the ATV community as a whole has accepted what we ’ve done out there. We built it to be a multi-use, family oriented trail, and handing out keys to whomever goes back to the concern of not having controls in place to ensure safety for everyone, ” he said.
Woito said a small group in the trapping community is pressuring the M.D. of Lesser Slave River to change the policies, which in turn would force ARTA to hand over keys.
“These people are claiming that they have always been able to drive up and down the trails that we built with the vehicles they wish to use and that we are denying them access. But some of the paths and work that we have done have only allowed them access to their trap line in the past year or so.
“What ’s happened in the past year is that one individual on the Smith end wants to drive up and down the trail with his truck to access his trap line, and is threatening to sue the M. D. of Lesser Slave (River) and is demanding a key to the gate, ” explained Woito.
“The M.D. has taken over control of the trail, but we work as trail operators. We have a good working relationship with the M.D. but it ’s these certain individuals that aren ’t satisfied with how easily they can access the trap line now with certain vehicles and want more.
“We aren ’t trying to prevent them access to the line, just (the vehicles they can use) to access them. ”
Now ARTA is facing a choice of handing out more keys or taking out the gates.
The association will meet at their next general meeting on Oct. 17 in Pine Creek to decide the fate of their involvement with the PRT from this point on.
“If our membership says they want to have a meeting with the municipalities and government agencies as the next step, then that ’s what we ’ll do and then bring the results of that back to ARTA membership. ”
Those interested in ARTA ’s future involvement with the PRT are encouraged to attend the next general meeting on Oct. 17 at Pine Creek Hall at 7 p.m.
Representatives of the M.D. of Lesser Slave River could not be reached before press time.
