NAKUSP & AREA COMMUNITY TRAILS SOCIETY
REGULAR MEETING
April 14, 2014, following the AGM
Held at the Tenderfoot Meeting Room – K2 Rotor Lodge
Minutes taken by: K. Marshall
Attending: B. Chwachka, W. Menzies, B. Neinhardt, W. Marshall, E. Hurry, E. Lindsay, P. McKee, J. Lancaster, G. Mueller, S. Kostich, T. Huesken, C.Savage, D.Peters
- Call to Order at 7:18 pm
- Review of the Agenda
Add 5.10 Sufferfest and 5.11 West Koot Route
MOTION to accept as Amended: B. Neinhardt, J. Lancaster, Carried
- Review of the Minutes ofRegular Meeting –October 3, 2013
MOTION to accept Minutes: B. Neinhardt, W. Menses, Carried
- Chair’s Report:
4.1 Meeting with the Ministry of Lands, Forest & Natural Resources
- a recent meeting was held with the Ministry to update our signage order. Ministry has given us a $5,000 annual operating budget - $1500 of this was earmarked for the Kuskanax Mountain Road project; the Ministry seems to be taking more interest in our area, restoring rec sites at Halfway Hot Springs & Harris Lake and restoring and providing an attendant at Box Lake and making a new rec site at the old girl guide camp on Slocan Lake
- Ministry will pay for our signage on the Rails to Trails project
4.2 Website Update
- B. Ross from Burton will be doing our updates
4.3 Chainsaw Course
- this safety course will be held in early May with R. Grogan, W. Menses, B. Chwachka and W. Marshall attending
4.5 KMT Guide and Map
- a new guide and map is being developed
MOTION to accept: J. Lancaster, B. Neinhardt, Carried
- Planning for 2014 Season:
5.1 KMT road repair – Community Vote Sunday April 27, 12 noon – 4 pm
- we will need volunteers for the booth
5.2 KMT Grand Opening
- scheduled for August 10th – tentative plans: a day hike and potluck dinner at Barb’s
- will be open to the public; let the Visitor’s Centre know for posting on their events calendar; we will need advertising and promotion for this event
5.3 Trail Maintenance – see attached list. Wulf reviewed the list and advised that he will send out notices for scheduled maintenance work parties. All members are encouraged to attend.
5.4 Trail Signage – see notes above re Ministry
5.5 Rails to Trails – the 2013 Public Meeting supported a multi-purpose trail. Our task now is to make it work for all users. We will be expecting the ATV Club to help with maintenance. Signage re etiquette will be an important focus for us this year.
5.6 Saddle Mountain Lookout restoration project – Ministry has agreed to restore/rebuild the lookout and has asked us to maintain it after it is fixed. They will build a new outhouse. They have asked us to get a quote this summer and B. Chwachka asked if a volunteer would take over this project – i.e. researching the historical use etc.
5.7 Hiking/fun promotion – B. Ross invited the Society to a hike in Burton on June 28/29 with a potluck following.
Suggestions from attendees: Plan 2/3 hosted hikes with social event after instead of the hiking schedule (that we have done in the past) and call them Community Hikes – keep them open/friendly/inviting/welcoming and avoid an exclusive club atmosphere; on the website, post “Some of our favourite hikes”, with details - B. Neinhardt, M. Wrede and E. Momeyer will produce something for this.
5.8 Youth Involvement – Maintenance experience, CORE AND ALYS
- it was suggested that we hold a Youth Maintenance Introduction Session for the high school CORE group and ALYS to show them a trail and discuss maintenance issues; ask the youth group to “sponsor/adopt” a trail. W. Menses has been in contact with the high school.
- the ALYS (Arrow Lakes Youth Society) is looking for our support to bring a Rossland trail building group to Nakusp to hold a workshop for the ALYS on how to build trails, apply for land use permits, etc. It was suggested that the Wensley Creek mountain bike trail might be a good trail to start on.
MOTION that we give permission to ALYS to hold a mountain bike trail building project at Wensley Creek, pending Ministry approval. B. Neinhardt, J. Lancaster, Carried
5.9 Society Promotion – Ideas and suggestions from attendees: - set up a kiosk at the Saturday Farmer’s Markets – K. Marshall volunteered to get a kiosk and materials together if other members would volunteer to man the booth – not every Saturday, but try long weekends at least. The same kiosk and materials could be used to set up a booth in the park for July 1st activities or we could sponsor and hold an activity – e.g. the sandhill for kids. The July 1st planning meeting is being held on April 30th at 7:00 pm. S. Kostich will attend.
- with regards to the KMT Grand Opening – how to make this open and encouraging to the general public?
- Legion Meat Draws – B. Neinhardt will make application for the Society again this year.
5.10 Kootenay Sufferfest – W. Mense reported that this event will be held on the September long weekend and will include events in Nakusp this year – the organizers will be looking for volunteer support.
5.11 – West Koot Route - W. Mense reported that the branding for our tourist region (New Denver, Silverton, Slocan, Kaslo & Nakusp) has been completed and plans are proceeding for promotion of the “West Koot Route”
- Plans for the Future:
6.1 Cabin restoration – Hot Springs Trail, Kimbol Lake and Saddle Mountain Hunter’s Cabin – we will begin by cleaning up the Hot Springs Trail cabin this summer and locating the Kimbol Lake cabin/trail.
- Date of the next meeting: at the Chair’s request (as needed).
- Adjourned at 8:55 pm
MOTION to adjourn, B. Neinhardt