Re: Proposed Conservation…

Re: Proposed Conservation Reserve status, Kolapore Uplands (south of Ravenna, ON)
I am an 80-year old resident of Ontario, splitting time between an apartment in Toronto and a rural chalet, about 8 Km east of the proposed Conservation Reserve. I have worked physically in the forest and as a committee volunteer for the past 50 years to help establish and maintain the Kolapore Wilderness Trails as a unique recreational opportunity for Ontarians (and visitors) to engage in non-motorized physical activities while maintaining the ecological integrity of the local nature and habitat. I personally enjoy and benefit from the trail system as a cross-country skier (winter) and hiker (all other seasons). I am not, nor have I ever been, a member of the Kolapore Wilderness Trails Association Board of Directors. Decades of my volunteer experience there has taught me that non-motorized recreation is indeed consistent with maintenance/conservation of the natural value and environmental stability of this profoundly beautiful and impressive slice of Ontario.
I believe very strongly that the longterm maintenance of the current trail system by the Kolapore Wilderness Trails Association represents the best chance that the area's natural elements, both flora and fauna, will be protected far into the future, as the trails have attracted a strong core of users committed to the preservation of nature throughout this region. The trails are not only used by local residents of the surrounding southern Georgian Bay Area. Numerous users, both Ontarians and tourists, are attracted by the wilderness trails' fine reputation.
The trails were originally designed in the early 1970s for cross-country skiing, and over the ensuing 5 decades, skiing has continued to be the major winter activity. With time, the mountain biking community has been attracted to the trails, and today mountain bikers contribute substantial time/effort to help maintain the trail system. Since there are multiple activities, the trails administration has had to deal with issues of how to provide the best and safest recreational opportunities while addressing the needs of users and natural preservation. It became clear decades ago that the trails should be limited to skiing during the winter months, both to provide quality skiing opportunity but also to enhance safety. Mountain biking, fat biking, snowshoeing, and hiking are all incompatible, as they introduce ruts and ditching in the snow, which freezes over and provides a safety risk. This has especially become a challenge with climate warming, which causes shifting periods of melting and freezing through our Southern Ontario winters. I would urge you to tap the expertise of the Kolapore Wilderness Trails Association Board when deciding how to manage the use of the forest trails throughout the year. Thank you for your consideration.