Closing down McLean Creek

[Rubber Boots]

I have heard from a couple of different people who aren't wheelers that McLean Creek is getting closed.  I haven't heard anything about that from anywhere else.  Does anyone know about these rumors?

[hps4evr]

i hear that same rumour after every long weekend. not that every long weekend is a gong show. i wont say it cant happen, but for now id say its just a rumour.

[Spinalguy]

Absolutely NOT true.

[Rubber Boots]

Well that is a relief.  I would support closing down McLean for the May long, but don't believe that would solve the problems, just force it somewhere else.  What is needed is more education for those few that are casuing problems.  It was nice to read that SRD aknowledges that the majority of the users are responsible, and that they saw more people taking out garbage with them.  So there is hope that more people will be more responsible and minimize the impact of May Long.

[GiS]

Well that is a relief.  I would support closing down McLean for the May long, but don't believe that would solve the problems, just force it somewhere else.  What is needed is more education for those few that are casuing problems.  It was nice to read that SRD aknowledges that the majority of the users are responsible, and that they saw more people taking out garbage with them.  So there is hope that more people will be more responsible and minimize the impact of May Long.

Now THIS is a post!!

Welcome to the site Rubber

[FiEND]

they are closing it, yes it is true.

as they do every year - but only to 4x4 trucks.

[01sahara]

Yes, that would be the normal winter closure. 

What I think we will see happen.
There will be new rules with less trails and a defined trail map. You will be requiered to stay on trails on that map and they will start to enforce it. ASRD will start to realy manage the area. Over a period of time volunteers will need to rework the trail system to be more sustainable. If the useres don't work to redevelop  sustainable trails then we will likely see additional closures at some point in the future. If compared to the GAMP process  a few years ago we lost most of our trails and have been fighting ever since to try to get some back and new ones reopened. We are getting closer but have not had a success yet. This time with Mclean they are leaving us a window of time to redeveloped and replace the trails with environmentally sustainable trails in the area before just closing most of the old unstastainable trail system.  If you still want to have Mclean trails to wheel on in a few years, get involved or don't complain when they get closed.  It will take a long term commitment in the 5-10 year range to redeveloped the trail system into something sustainable that we can keep open.

Getting involved has a learning curve.
Volunteer on trail projects -  learn the process the Gov wants followed - take some training - develop and lead a project. It goes in stages and we need more people to start working on this.

[Hi Lo Silver]

Yes, you to can purchase an igloo with lake shore frontage in Florida.

I suspect there's enough knives in some of our backs donated by ASRD over the years to put together quite a nice dinner ware set. Oops sorry, the sarcasm is slipping out again. Must remain positive.....for another 30 years and we might see a trail returned to the 4x4 system....complete with asphault.

Just keeping them honest....oh crap...this is Goverment....that would be a futile effort.

[01sahara]

Yes, you to can purchase an igloo with lake shore frontage in Florida.

I suspect there's enough knives in some of our backs donated by ASRD over the years to put together quite a nice dinner ware set. Oops sorry, the sarcasm is slipping out again. Must remain positive.....for another 30 years and we might see a trail returned to the 4x4 system....complete with asphault.

Just keeping them honest....oh crap...this is Goverment....that would be a futile effort.

Gun if I get one new trail open in the next 12 mo will you come back to work on a project?

[Hi Lo Silver]

No, I'm afraid not Blair. 30+ years of watching trails get closed to mostly 4x4's just to have one possible trail given back to us since the GAMP roll out ,won't see me back onto the trail projects all that quickly. I've lost too much trust, respect, and faith in ASRD doing anything to put a substantial trail system back into this province. You may get one added, but they'll find reasons to close down 50 others in the mean time. You guys have put a great deal of effort into working towards additional trails, just like many other people have done for 10 or 15 years before you, and you've now been a witness to the end result each and every time.

My attitude would change substantually though if they were to add 4 or 5 trails a year for the next few years. I mean trails though. Not lease gravel roads to well sites or another staging area to a quad loading area.

In the mean time though, I'll just keep wheeling responsibly on as many trails as I can fit into the season.

Let me know when  ASRD get real serious about working with us again though because I sure didn't mind pitching in on the many projects over the many years, and would probably be more than happy to pitch in again.

[Rubber Boots]

In my opinion there are two groups that need education.  The area users and ASRD.  Unfortunatly the ministers in goverment change fairly regularly and we need to have a stable department that we can work with over the long term to manage these areas.  I too last all faith in ASRD over Gamp but I think that there were other political pressures involved from other groups that resulted in the closures we saw and who they were targeted at, but that is just my paranoid thoughts.  I am always hopeful that the goverment will do as it is supposed to and listen to All the people, and then come up with a plan that equally shares out the area.  It would be nice to see ASRD more involved with the yearly clean up days in both areas and see that a full scale closeure just hurts everyone.  But I don't suppose they even read these forums.  To bad I think theyh would get a lot of helpful input.  Of course they would have to realize that there are some sour grapes over other land managment plans.  But enough of my rambling.