Dirt bikers News... Message from the President: Welcome to the new year and with that to our new page!! We are excitedly working to create a page to provide you with multiple links to various newspaper articles that have involved various dirt biking issues, especially those focused around the SDBA! We hope to have this page on the go by the end of January. We ask all of our members if they have any links to interesting articles that they would like to see posted to this site please e-mail them directly to your Treasurer-Secretary for posting! We look forward to some interesting reading! SDBA Grant-in-aid: At the District of Squamish June 4, 2006 Regular Meeting of Council they awarded their grant-in-aid to various user groups. The District of Squamish awarded the SDBA $10,000 with mention in efforts to help ease recent tension on the trails. Keep monitoring the site for more information and minutes of the District of Squamish meeting. MTSA Update: All motorized and non-motorized users within the Squamish area must read and understand this: On Thursday June 8, 2006 at 5pm the SDBA, SORCA and the STS met with Tim Hoskin, Recreation Officer - Recreation Sites and Trails Unit of The Ministry of Tourism, Sport and the Arts, Dave Hails, RPF District Manger of Ministry of Forests and Range - Squamish Forest District, Cliff Doherty, Director of Protective Services of the District of Squamish and Mayor Ian Sutherland of the District of Squamish to discuss trail strategies amongst the above three noted user groups, SDBA, SORCA and the STS. The meeting began with the reading of the three groups' new vision. "A well coordinated trail system managed for the enjoyment of the full range of users groups". This is to be strict enforced and understood by everyone. Mr. Hoskins, Mr. Hails and Mayor Sutherland have strongly warned that this is to be followed. If anyone of the SDBA, SORCA or STS waive from this all three groups funding will be eliminated and all three of our privileges in the trails will be lost! Make sure you understand that this applies to all three of our groups - SDBA, SORCA and the STS!! There actual quote is this "The BS in the Trails Stops NOW!!" We can not emphasize this enough; we HAVE to make a NEW START. We have been asked to tell our members NOT e-mail your complaints to either MOTSA or the Min. of Forests. That evening each user group appointed a spokes person. Scott Ellis was chosen to represent the SDBA. You are to please e-mail any SDBA concerns to Scott Ellis, SDBA Vice-President/Acting President and he will address them according. Topics covered during the June 8, 2006 meeting were: Darwins Crossing: A new crossing will be constructed by SORCA. SDBA has volunteered help and this was accepted. The new crossing will be to engineered specifications - approx. 3' wide & 50' long and will accommodate motorized traffic. The Ring Creek Rip will be CLOSED to motorized traffic for one month before the Test of Metal (May 17 - June 17), then will re-open for safety reason to ONE-WAY Down Hill traffic only. The Plunge is now NON-MOTORIZED. The SDBA and SORCA asked if Trials Bikes could be exempt and Ministry said no motorized for now, but this will be discussed at later meetings. MOTSA will be providing all signage in the Darwins area. This is a huge stepping stone for all three users groups. We can and will make this work. The Ministry is promising to take on liability for trails and use, a destination trail system, $ to improve infrastructure, $ for education, partnership agreements, consistent signage, support for events, no net loss to other users, protection, trail standards, compliance and enforcement, co-ordination of trails from Lions Bay to Darcy, linkage of trails throughout Sea to Sky, safety and a living plan. What can you do?? Remember non-motorized always has the right of way, so pull over and let them pass. A smile, wave, nod or a hello goes a long way. Noise is our biggest complaint - 96DB or less! The representatives' first meeting will be held Tuesday June 13, 2006 and the SDBA site will be updated to keep you informed. Scott Ellis, SBDA VP