PRESS RELEASE

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – November 12^th 2009

 Trail Riders Support Government Off-Road Legislation

 Kelowna, BC November 12^th 2009 – Okanagan Trail Riders Association (OTRA) applauds the recent announcement by Minister Krueger to move towards licensing and registration of Off-Highway Vehicles. In our view motorized recreation offers an immense tourism opportunity for this Province and enacting licensing and registration along with legislation can form the foundation to build the infrastructure and manage use claims Ken Umbarger President of the OTRA. 

For 3 years (2002-2005) the Okanagan Trail Riders Association were an integral part of a grass roots coalition which provided a 47 point plan recommending new legislation including licensing and registration for Off-Highway Vehicles in the Province of BC. While waiting for the Province to take action on these proposals the club applied for stewardship of a 35,000 hectare area in Bear Creek with an aim to demonstrate a vision for managed motorized recreation in British Columbia. “Past un-managed user practices created numerous conflicts with other stakeholders in the area including concerns over environmental damage to the watershed” states Umbarger. The stigma of past unsustainable riding practices has been a deterrent to the OTRA in gathering support and needed funds to develop a managed trail system claims Umbarger. In spite of this resistance our group has raised approximately $1,000,000 dollars in the last three years to develop a sustainable trail system and mitigate concerns from past unmanaged use. Much of these funds have been provided by the Ministry of Tourism Culture and Arts and the Federal Governments Action Plan. OTRA expects the new legislation to address infrastructure, education, safety and enforcement needs. We are well on our way to creating a world class managed trail system that will provide motorized recreation, other stakeholders and the community as a whole a win-win.