Alberta overhauling its trail management system

The hiking trail on Yamnuska in Alberta's Bow Valley Wildland Provincial Park, part of Kananaskis Country, is shown in June 2017. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Colette Derworiz)

Edmonton -

The Alberta government is introducing a series of changes to how it manages trails on public land.

The Trails Act was introduced in the legislature by Minister of Environment and Parks Jason Nixon on Tuesday.

It includes a provision to designate recreational trails on public land for specific uses like hiking, snowmobiling or riding an off-highway vehicle.

“The historical trails that we care about Albertans will remain protected,” said Nixon.

“The Trails Act will make those trails a resource of our province.”

The province says the growing popularity of motorized equipment has taken a toll on trails in recent decades.

Other elements of the new act include a change to trail planning to better consider other land-uses and values as well as new enforcement tools designed to protect the environment.

“The importance of trails to both our economic future and our tourism industry as well as to Albertans' health and enjoyment will be recognized,” Nixon said.

The act also includes a requirement for a trail management plan that the province says will come into force next spring.

“I think you’ll see a better experience on trails,” said Nixon. “You’ll see better water crossings … better signage, better mapping.”

He noted the province last updated its legislation for trails on public land in 1979.

The province says Alberta has 13,000 kilometres of designated and managed trails as well as hundreds of thousands of kilometres of unintended trails.

Many of those trails are maintained by volunteer groups who can apply to get a trail designated and protected under the act.