Recreation Sites and Trails B.C. have recently won a Premier's Award in the innovation category for the North and Interior regions

Recreation Sites and Trails B.C partners with both the 亚洲天堂 Lake Mountain Biking Association (BLMBA) and the Smithers Mountain Biking Association (SMBA) and it is this partnership that resulted in the Premiers Award for innovation. The award recognizes the innovative efforts the partners have taken in the application of a policy for mountain biking on Crown land.

Kevin Eskelin district recreation officer of Recreation Sites and Trails B.C. from the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations received the award on behalf of Recreation Sites and Trails B.C.

Eskelin's role is to enter into partnership agreements with groups such as BLMBA in order to enforce

policies, guidelines and standards for trail maintenance and management on recreation sites and trails.

According to Eskelin, when the province acknowledged mountain biking as a growing sport in B.C. they then enacted an official policy to legitimize the trails and help local groups develop areas that are purpose built for bikes.

鈥淲e鈥檙e all looking for a common goal,鈥� he said.

Eskelin described his role as more of a supporter of BLMBA and SMBA's work.

鈥淚鈥檓 the guy that stands in the background and enables them to do this,鈥� he said.

Aside from the Premier鈥檚 Award, the trails in 亚洲天堂 Lake and Smithers, as well as some in Terrace and Vanderhoof have featured on the television show Ride Guide, and in feature articles on Pinkbike.com, one of the largest mountain bike websites online.

Eskelin says, the next step will be pushing the trails here in 亚洲天堂 Lake and across the Northwest as a tourist attraction worth a visit for serious mountain bikers.

鈥淭he relative amenity value of those trails is increasing,鈥� said Eskelin. 鈥淚t just so happens that 亚洲天堂 Lake and Smithers are ahead of most other smaller rural communities.鈥�

Kevin Derksen, president of BLMBA said the sport is becoming increasingly popular in the local area and he said that after the local trails were featured in BikeMagazine last year, hits on the BLMBA website had increased.

Derksen said he can only hope it is because people are checking out what 亚洲天堂 Lake has to offer and that mountain bikers plan to visit.

To see the Ride Guide TV epsiode featuring the 亚洲天堂 Lake trails go to www.burnslaketrails.ca and click on the Ride Guide TV tab.

With files from Jon Muldoon.

Smithers Interior 亚洲天堂.