The Elkford ATV Club is working with Trails BC and the Trans Canada Trail to find a route and develop and maintain the trail from Elko, Fernie, Sparwood through Elkford and up to the Elk Pass.  The first stage of the project is a conceptual planning study that considers each possible route segment considering the cost, private land, elevation variation, environmental sustainability, and funding options.

A steering committee will be struck to develop a request for proposals for a consultant to undertake the study between November 2008 and September 2009 with interim draft reports.  We are actively recruiting consulting proposals for the study work.

Background of the Proposed New Trail Segment
 

The idea of the Trans Canada Trail was conceived as part of Canada's 125th anniversary celebrations in 1992. The Trans Canada Trail Foundation was established in December of that year. Today the Trans Canada Trail is a 21,500-kilometre recreational trail winding its way through every province and territory, from the Atlantic to Pacific to Arctic Oceans. When completed, it will be world's longest shared-use recreational trail, linking close to 1000 communities and over 33 million Canadians. Today almost 70 percent (14,500 kilometers) is developed.

A citizens' initiative to establish the trail across British Columbia founded Trails BC in 1995. Trails BC has been designated by the Trans Canada Trail Foundation to facilitate the development of the Trans Canada Trail in BC.

BC has two routes. The northeast section (part of the route from the Arctic) will be 1,600 km, cutting diagonally across northeast BC through the communities of Fort Nelson and Fort St. John. The southern route will be approximately 1,750 km from Victoria to the Alberta border when completed.

Development of the southern route is about 40% complete, and 53% of the trail is registered with the Trans Canada Trail Foundation. Preliminary scoping by project leaders identified a southern route through the province highlighting the abandoned rail corridors of the Kettle Valley and Columbia & Western Railway. With these rail trails forming the foundation of the TCT in BC, Trails BC has identified cyclists as the core summer time user of the trail (of those approved by the TCT). Most of the southern route west of Elko has been identified and is either operational or in the planning stage. The route east towards the Alberta border is the subject of this study.

Shared Use

The goal is to complete the trail before the 2010 Olympics to be held in British Columbia. The trail was originally envisioned to be used by hikers, cyclists, cross country skiers, snowmobiles and horseback riders. Not all parts of the trail would be accessible by all users as allowing horses or snowmobiles through cities for example would be hazardous. The use of all terrain vehicles (ATV's) was originally intended to be strictly limited. The Trans Canada Trail policy states:

"The original vision of the Trans Canada Trail was to have a shared-use Trail that would accommodate five core activities : walking, cycling, horseback riding, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. Other activities such as in-line skating, wheeling and mushing (i.e. dogsled) would be endorsed but not considered core activities."

When the issue of including ATV's (i.e. all terrain vehicles) came up, the Trail faced a dilemma. On the one hand, ATV's were never part of the original vision of the Trans Canada Trail. In fact, many of TCT's donors feel that ATV's are a safety hazard and certainly do not provide the experience one would be looking for on our national Trail. On the other hand, in rural areas and in the more remote parts of Canada, these vehicles are practical and commonplace.

The matter got more complex when the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador declared that ATV's were welcome on their section of the "Newfoundland 'Trailway", which is a 900 kilometer stretch of abandoned rail corridor that represents the entire route of the Trans Canada Trail through the Province. Nova Scotia also endorsed ATV's on those trails built on its land holdings. Still in progress and partly a wilderness trail, Alberta's Iron Horse Trail caters primarily towards equestrians, snowmobilers and ATV's at the moment. Yukon's Whitehorse Copper Trail, Dempster Highway, and Dawson Overland Trail segments of the main-line TCT are also shared-use with ATV. Sections of Manitoba trail including Pinawa are also shared.

The Trans Canada Trail concluded that it could not endorse the use of ATV's on the Trail but, at the same time, could not pose a strict ban. If it had, the Trans Canada Trail would have several major gaps throughout Canada and alienated some Provinces and Territories.

It was therefore agreed that TCT organizations would make every effort to route the Trail where ATV's are not permitted. When and only when this proved to be uneconomical or impractical would the Trans Canada Trail "reluctantly accept" the presence of ATV's on the Trail. In essence, the Trans Canada Trail will accept ATV's where there are no reasonable alternatives". Such is the case in the Elk Valley.

Trans Canada Trail in the Elk Valley

TCT policy indicates that the trail must be able to support the summertime use by cyclists and hikers to be able to formally as recognized Trans Canada Trail. Although the TCT in itself does not promote the use of summer motorized recreation use on the trail, there is recognition that such use is established along existing corridors in the Elk Valley. The trail will accommodate all such traditional use, and new trail design and construction would be based on accommodating both motorized and non-motorized users. In the remoteness of the Elk Valley the ATV is the answer to do brush clearing, puddle draining, etc. As intended, the ATV is a work horse in this respect.

Although considerable route assessment work has been done by numerous dedicated volunteers, the trail from Elko to Elk Pass still requires confirmation.

This section is characterized by portions of steep terrain, a mixture of private and crown lands, forest and mining tenured lands, nature conservancy preserves, and utility and transport corridors.

Fernie itself is confirmed as being on the route, and the trail along the Elk River has been designated as the official route through the city, accommodating hikers and cyclists. The communities of Sparwood and Elkford are to be included into the route plan.

Tentatively it has been determined that the scope of this study would start in the south at the Forestry bridge over the Elk River at Elko and to the north at the boundary between BC and Alberta at Elk Pass for a distance of approximately 200kms. An appendix to the study would be the establishment of a potential ATV and snowmobile trail east of Elkford into Alberta. This study would only deal with the associated issues on the BC side.

Currently an ad hoc steering committee has been set up to provide guidance to the study. At this time representatives from Trails BC and the Elkford ATV Club are involved. The ad hoc committee will attempt to expand to include other representatives from Elkford, Sparwood, and Fernie.

The Trail is proposed to generally follow the alignment shown on the above maps. It would be located on rural roads, municipal, private and public lands, utility corridors, forest roads, and existing trail routes.

The Trail could potentially support a varied number of trail user groups (e.g., cyclists, hikers, equestrian, skiers, snowmobiles, ATVs and motorcycles) and other recreational opportunities (historic interpretation, bird watching, picnicking, cultural events, etc). Development of the trail corridor into a designated recreational trail has also been identified as a significant regional tourism and recreational opportunity. Trails BC and Alberta TrailNet are working toward a sectional route concept that identifies a route between Fernie and Banff as being a highly marketable destination trail. This has the potential to tap into the North American and European recreational markets. There are however challenges that need to be addressed to realize this potential.

Study Goals

The goals associated with the development of this Trail are to:

• Promote sustainable tourism in the region;
• Increase the quality and quantity of opportunities for healthy, active living;
• Provide natural viewing areas and access points along, and within proximity to, the Trail;
• Provide opportunities for heritage and potential interpretive sites;
• Enhance the usage of existing provincial and municipal recreational facilities;
• Enhance or complement local and regional economic/tourism goals;
• Enhance the social/economic connectivity between local communities;
• Promote and demonstrate the responsible use of trails through planning, design and operational considerations;
• Develop educational messages that focus on the human, natural and cultural history of the area.

The Steering Committee requires an environmentally sensitive yet realistic conceptual plan that will outline the current route options and future off road opportunities, and act as a guide for appropriate planning, design and management of the Trail. More specifically, the conceptual plan should provide planning and design direction and recommendations regarding the following:

• Identify appropriate trail routings
• Prepare a trail segment matrix with allowable/recommended recreational user type
• Locate existing tourism attractions & amenities along trail route (including natural and cultural/human-built heritage)
• Identify potential tourism attractions, amenities, and opportunities and linkages to river/lake access points
• Identify potential trail user needs and requirements
• Indicate appropriate trailhead locations and design details (parking, washrooms, garbage, shelter)
• Determine land ownership/management/dispositions/local government zoning or land use regulations that might impact trail development
• Prepare detailed trail alignments on and off of various existing rights-of-way as appropriate or required (road, undeveloped road allowances, abandoned rail etc.)
• Recommend trail design, engineering requirements and construction best practices, including but not limited to development capability, access/egress requirements, possible river bridging requirements, trail surfacing, and appropriate buffers from existing residences/residential areas as required
• Identify trail management and maintenance issues and suggest potential remedies
• Provide conceptual design and location of major trail signage along with a graphic trail theme
• Identify and suggest mitigation measures for potential user/use conflicts, public safety, liability issues and risk management options
• Outline areas of required environmental mitigation and suggest best practices solutions
• Suggest potential funding sources and research how other jurisdictions fund trail construction (private, corporate, municipal, provincial, federal funding)
• Develop preliminary design and construction cost estimates
• Solicit public and other stakeholder input into the project

Scope of Work

The consultant will undertake the following:

1. Review background planning and design documents.
2. Develop a concept plan for the trail that includes:
   1. Assessment of the current condition of the trail for recreational use;
   2. Identifying the most appropriate trail route including most appropriate trailhead locations and design (parking, washrooms, garbage, shelter);
   3. A phased development schedule including cost estimates;
   4. Strip maps and drawings depicting the alignment and illustrations of typical trail design features for the variety of locations, terrains and environments the trail will cross;
   5. Identify trail management issues and mitigation best practices.
3. Work with Tourism BC, Ministry of Tourism, Culture & the Arts to identify existing tourism attractions & amenities along the trail route (including natural and cultural/human-built heritage).
4. Work with Tourism BC, Ministry of Tourism, Culture & the Arts, and the municipalities to identify potential new tourism attractions, amenities, and wildlife viewing access points along or near the trail route.
5. Identify potential conflicts associated with trail development/operations and privately owned/occupied land.
6. Incorporate wildfire protection, and wildlife mitigation considerations into the plan.
7. Recommend access/egress points (trailhead, emergency access, management access).
8. Recommend a graphic theme, signage style.
9. Recommend any public/private infrastructure that may be appropriate to support tourism use of the area.
10. Consult with potentially impacted land managers and stakeholders including: existing operators, provincial government and other agencies, the local aboriginal community and others as identified. Incorporate stakeholder and public open house and other input methods at appropriate points in the process, to include, at a minimum, the preliminary draft and final draft stages of the conceptual plan development.
11. Document issues associated with multiple users (by type and estimated volume) on the same trail and identify possible mitigating measures.
12. Identify preliminary costs for construction for the phases identified and projected operational costs to manage and maintain the trail.
13. Identify funding and revenue opportunities for capital and operating costs

Reference Material

Potential references and background materials to be utilized to the successful contractor for the duration of the project. These materials include:

• Southern Rockies Mountain Management Plan (SRMMP) 2003
• Park Trail Planning and Construction, B.C. Parks, Participant Workbook, 1996.
• Other documents as are available

Contract Management (Project Steering Committee)

Contact Name:     Peter Cunningham

Address:    PO Box 699
Elkford, BC V0B 1H0

Phone/email    (250)865-2690 peter@elkfordtrails.com

Co-Chairs: Peter Cunningham, President of Elkford ATV Club and Al Skucas President of Trails BC

They will provide overall direction for the project, call meetings and approve consultant's work and initiate payment of invoices.

Steering Committee Members

The Steering Committee will attempt to include:

• Municipal and Regional District representatives
• Representatives from the Recreation Sites and Trails of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts of BC
• Representatives of the Southern Rockies Mountain Management Plan Sub-Committee
• Representatives from Elk Valley snowmobile clubs
• Representatives from Elk Valley ATV clubs
• Representatives of Trails BC

The Steering Committee members will be responsible for reviewing and providing feedback on all documents provided by the Co-Chairs; for making recommendations based on consensus to the Co-Chairs and for recording minutes and recommended actions of the meetings.

Meetings

Meetings will be called by the Co-Chairs utilizing in-person, web-based and teleconference meeting tools as appropriate.

Meetings may include one or more site visits at appropriate stages during the project.

Professional Responsibility

The consultant shall comply with generally accepted standards for similar consulting work.

Report Production and Mapping

The final products are to be reproducible at a high quality suitable for publication. They will be concise and communicate the results clearly to lay readers. Clarity and accuracy of graphics are prime concerns.

Final products will include a 1:50,000 colored concept plan suitable for presentation and display, a reduced version of this plan that can be readily reproduced via color copier, as well as one error-free, "camera ready" report original and 10 copies. The report will include an executive summary. Report text, maps and GIS (if applicable) will also be submitted on computer disc in a form compatible with Microsoft Word and AutoCAD 2000.

Scheduling and Terms of Payment

Scheduling

All work associated with this contract must be completed and the final products submitted by December 31, 2008.

Terms of Payment:

A mutually agreeable payment schedule will be negotiated between the successful consultant and the Steering Committee as part of the consultant contract.

All payments will be predicated on acceptance of interim and/or final products by the designate of the Steering Committee.

Submission of Proposals / Inquiries

Proposals should include the following items:

• A detailed project description including project phases, draft products, timelines, meetings, public input and a detailed breakdown of charges associated with each phase,
• An overview of the staff roles and responsibilities during the project including time allocations and billing rates.
• Staff resumes highlighting related experience in planning environmentally sensitive projects and recreational trail planning.
• A description of related firm experience.
• A stipulated upset cost figure to carry out all the work of the contract described in these Terms of Reference, together with a proposed payment schedule.

Please provide an electronic copy and four (4) hard copies of proposals for review purposes. Proposals should be submitted to the following address:

Attention:     Peter Cunningham
Pres, Elkford ATV Club

Address:     PO Box 699
Elkford, BC V0B 1H0

Phone:     (250) 865-2690    email: peter@elkfordtrails.com

Submissions must be received in the Elkford ATV Club office by 2:00 p.m, 15 November, 2008.

Questions regarding the Terms of Reference and background and reference materials should be directed to Peter Cunningham.

Cost Control

If at any point during the progress of the work, the consultant considers that the stipulated upset cost figure will be exceeded either by unforeseen circumstances or changes in the Terms of Reference, the client shall immediately be supplied with complete details.

At no time shall the contract fee (i.e. the stipulated upset cost figure) be exceeded without notifying and obtaining the client's written acceptance.

The Steering Committee reserves the right to reject any or all proposals submitted as a result of this Call for Proposals.