The Shuswap Trail Alliance and its volunteer ‘warriors’ have received the support of Salmon Arm council for another four years.
At their Dec. 14 meeting, council members voted unanimously to approve a fee-for-service agreement – $40,000 in 2016 followed by 1.5 per cent increases each year for the three years following.
The city’s corporate officer Erin Jackson noted that’s slightly above the average 1.14 per cent Consumer Price Index measured over the past five years so should cover any material or labour increases.
Council sang the praises of the trail alliance.
“I really appreciate the work the trail alliance does,” remarked Coun. Ken Jamieson, explaining he gets a picture of all the work done as chair of the city’s Greenways Committee.
“The volunteer base that comes out of their work is really quite something. There are people that are warriors when it comes to trails in the community.”
Coun. Kevin Flynn said the alliance does a very good job of collaborating and getting partnerships in funding.
Mayor Nancy Cooper also expressed her admiration for the working together philosophy constantly promoted by the trail alliance, pointing to what’s been called an historic agreement signed Dec. 2 in Enderby between area First Nations bands, regional districts and municipalities.
The new Shuswap Trails Roundtable was formed to further a regional trails strategy, which is intended to help ensure trails are appropriately authorized, mapped, developed, maintained and promoted. It will also protect and promote First Nations interests, reduce and repair ecological damage from all trail use, and manage land access appropriately.