Where does the time go?!

Wow! Great job to everyone today! I was so impressed with the turn out and with the enthusiasm to get down and dirty with the clean up. Three truck loads of garbage was collected!! Shocking but what a difference it has made. Great job by Ken and Pete with the whipper snippers too. Those raspberry bushes didn't stand a chance!! Cam and Ian also made some progress on the entrance sign so hopefully that will be resurrected soon.

So it only took us a year to get this together! We'll better late than never I always say. With this clean up and with a bit of press from The Cobden Sun we might be able to show the County that we are still eager to see some trail development on this tract. Thanks go out to Cindy for calling up Jake at the Cobden Sun to cover this story. On that note, we'll try and have our group picture loaded up next week.

Please feel free to share your comments or suggestions on this blog so we can maintain this momentum and ensure the trails continue to be keep in good condition and accessible for winter.

Many many thanks to all!

Nicole

Next Steps

Howdy everyone!

So I have begun the process of figuring out our next steps for creating our organization. It is quite daunting but have already been in touch with a ton of people that are willing to offer help and guidance. Basically, if we want to set up as a corporation we need to have 6 - 8 people willing to act as board members. (Even if we don't incorporate immediately it is probably a good idea to gather a group that would like to be involved in the decision making processes) The application is also quite pricey....around $500 - $1000. Still getting the specifics of what is required. The Friends of Bonnechere Parks have already been invaluable with providing feedback, guidance and referrals to other sources of assistance. I will keep you more up to date as I gather the info. We will also probably need to have a meeting in the near future to revisit our objectives.

Talk to you soon!

Committee approval

Just thought I'd let you know our Development and Property Committee had no objections to me working with your group to developing a trail management strategy. The next step will be to obtain "official" status for the proposed "Friends of Beachburg Forest". This will open a lot of doors to obtain grants, etc. If you need any help with this process, we have some expertise here at the County.

Regards,

JM

Trail inspection

Hi Folks,

I completed a trail inspection yesterday. Pretty much all good news - very little work has to be done to bring the trails up to standard.

Parking Lot and Access Road - I will be talking to the County Roads manager, and will ask them to grade the road. I would eventually like to get the brush cut, and generally tidy the place up.

Trails - both trails need some minor brushing, and need to have more visible route markers. There are some dead trees adjacent to the trails that need to be cut. There are places where some high stumps need to be cut down to ground level to reduce the tripping hazard. A couple of places need a little shovel work to fill in ruts. Expenses will be minimal - basically, a half-dozen volunteers with a couple of brush saws, shovels, etc. could do it all in a day. The only real cost will be the beer at the end of the day.

Interpretive Signs - all the signs should be replaced, although the posts are in good shape. When we get a little further along in the process, I will get an estimate for signs from our sign shop. Old info I have here (2000) estimated $1600 to replace some, but not all, of the signs, so I would expect it will take around $3000 to do them all. Of particular concern is the vandalized sign in the parking lot. I don't really want to take it down until we have a replacement.

All in all, I was very pleased with the condition of the trails. I'm sure we will be able to access sufficient funding to:

• replace signs and route markers
• purchase 2 brush cutting saws

We need some solid direction about what we want to accomplish, and what uses we will permit. Do we want, for example, to maintain groomed ski trails? Mountain bikes okay? Horses? Ultimately, we will need to develop a trail management strategy - not a big deal, but it gives stakeholders an opportunity for input - the land does belong to Renfrew County residents.

I meet with the Development and Property Committee on Tuesday, and will be addressing this issue with them. I expect we will be supported. I will let you all know, via this blog, what the outcome is and suggest some "next steps".

While I was out there, I cut a few windfalls off the trail - there were, surprisingly, very few. The trails are getting alot of use!

Regards,

Jeff

Hello All,

I have extended the author invitation so you can add your 2 cents. Please feel free to redecorate too. The photos so far are from a great dog walk on the trails a few months ago. As mentioned in my comment to Shillington, I assume we will meet following Jeff's recommendations, or at least post and chat at that time. Cheers.

You sure set that up fast, Amy. I will be reporting to the D&P committee on Sept 11 that a group is being formed - I expect unanimous approval. As explained, Council's main concerns will be 1) that trails don't interfere with forest management, and 2) there is no question of hunting being prohibited.

I hope to be on-site next Thursday (Sept 6) to do a walk-through evaluation.

Jeff