Thank you for the…

Thank you for the information about Conservation Reserve status changes.
I am writing specifically about the Kolapore Uplands area and the Kolapore Wilderness Trails.

I have been using and maintaining this unique wilderness trail system since 1982, along with a large group of volunteers who started in the 1970s. In summer the trails are multi-use, and many hikers, mountain bikers, dog walker and runners use the KWTA trails as well as the Bruce trail that crosses the property. 

In winter, what makes Kolapore special and unique is that it is the only extensive ungroomed backcountry trail system in the wider area.  Unlike machine groomed areas, the tracks are formed as the first skiers break the trails and further skiers pack them down, leading to excellent ski touring and wilderness skiing. Skiing in pristine tracks in wilderness areas is a unique experience in Southern Ontario. The tracks are fragile and can be destroyed easily by hiking, snowshoeing, snowmobiling or fat biking. Footprints and snowshoe tracks can refreeze into dangerous hazards for skiers.

We have extensive signage asking that the ski trails are for skiing only in winter. We also have informal (but marked) separate snowshoe loops for hikers and snowshoers, and they may also use the Bruce Trail. There is a major snowmobile trail as that crosses through Kolapore, which is for snowmobiling only. While the area is multi-use in winter the specific trails are not.

Luckily we have had good cooperation and the ski trails are generally great for skiing all winter, the snowmobiles use their trails, while the Bruce trail and snowshoe trails are used by hikers, snowshoers and dogs.

I would strongly suggest that the Kolapore ski trails maintain their ski-only status in winter. Several other areas nearby have  multi-use trails in winter, and the skiing is always mediocre at best without formed ski tracks, often icy and dangerous with hazardous ruts and holes. Fast-moving bikes or skiers on downhills  can also interact with slower snowshoers or dogs in unfortunate ways.

Kolapore is one of the few areas maintained entirely by volunteers, who build and repair bridges and clear trails, and the KWTA pays for snow clearing and portable toilet rental out of membership and donations. I hope the Conservation Reserve will continue to allow Kolapore volunteers to be active partners in maintaining these trails, and continue to use the existing infrastructure and signage.

This should allow Conservation Reserve status to maintain this unique ski experience for all to enjoy for generations to come, for both recreation and conservation of the unique environment.

Thank you for your consideration.