Dear Editor:
In reply to the December 6th letter to the editor Is Barbour Rock the next Jumbo?
If the area cant be ripped up with 50 kilometres of new bike trails then no one should use it.
This is exactly how the bikers think, with no respect to wildlife, the local residents, other tenure holders, or the environment. Only 53 kilometres of legal trails? Must be a lot of illegal trails. Mountain bikes are allowed legally on all Christmas tree access roads and trails that exist here on the benches, and maps of the trails all through this valley are readily available on the Internet.
In the Toby Benches Official Community: Plan 9.3 policies (6) Adherence to trail building best practices in the development of mountain biking and hiking trails, such as maintaining reasonable trail densities is encouraged in order to limit the impact of trail development on wildlife.
Fifty kilometres of new trails in this area is certainly over the limit, especially when access trails already exist. Mountain bike trails are built specifically for mountain biking and, in most cases, are not suitable for cross country skiing and hiking. The best hiking trails are no trails; just hike through the openings to wherever you wish in peace and quiet.
Sit awhile and enjoy the view and the undisturbed wildlife.
With not a penny for tenure, licence or insurance, the bikers want all Crown to be plastered with tenured new mountain bike trails and still ride two or three abreast on the pavement with all the vehicle traffic.
All other tenure holders pay licence fees, tenure fees, insurance; and hunters pay licence fee, insurance and Habitat Conservation Fund. Crown land is public land and should not be all tenured for bikers.
Watch out Wilmer, Enid area, youre next.
Norman Hendricks
Toby Benches
