Become a Marine Trail Member

June-July 1995

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.

by Peter McGee

Another paddling season is upon us and the BC Marine Trail Association (BCMTA) is gearing up for a hard summer of work in the office and out in the field. For those of you who have not heard of us before, the Marine Trail Association is a non-profit group dedicated to securing recreational access to, and promoting wise stewardship of, a marine trail along the BC coast. Established in 1993, we became a registered charity in the fall of 1994.

We are looking forward to establishing the first official trail sites this summer and will be hosting the 5th Annual BC Marine Trail Ocean Kayak Marathon, July 23 (604-689-7575). The BCMTA has been looking to a variety of sources for financial support and were recently awarded an Active Living grant by the Outdoor Recreation Council. Equally exciting, various government agencies have been contacting the Association to see how they can get involved. Although this is a positive step, we will have to wait and see how they respond to some of our proposals before we can claim success.

Over the next few months we will be applying for leases, tenures and management contracts with BC Parks, the Ministry of Forests and BC Lands to establish the trail sites which are planed for public lands. In order to negotiate the kind of recreational access we require, we need the support of a large membership. Simply put, we need you to get involved!

BC is home to some of the finest paddling in the world but, as everyone knows, the coast is changing and many public access spots are disappearing. There is no point in letting this trend continue and then arguing about the results. Our interests need to be heard immediately and the BCMTA will only be successful articulating this to government if we have the numbers to back up our claims. If you agree, then please take the time to become a member today.

Let's not wait until we are struggling to preserve bits and pieces or the "bottom of the barrel." If we are proactive in our planning we will be able to preserve some of the finest BC has to offer and that kind of foresight will pay off in spades in the years to come. This is our coast and we deserve a say in how it is managed. Join the BC Marine Trail Association and let your voice be heard.

Peter McGee is the Executive Director of the BC Marine Trails Association. Peter will be leading workshops at this year's Ocean Kayak Festival and will guide paddlers to a prospective Marine Trail site on Gabriola.

Contact: BC Marine Trails Association, 1668 Duranleau Street, Vancouver, BC V6H 3S4. Phone: 604-669-8462 Fax: 604-687-8525.