MOUNTAIN VIEW COUNTY - Mountain View County's council has authorized administration to enter into negotiations and agreement with the citizen-driven, not-for-profit West22 Trail Society for the ongoing trail stewardship of the municipally-owned William J. Bagnall Wilderness Park (Bagnall Park) near Water Valley.
The move came by way of motion at the May 21 council meeting, held in person and online.
Council also carried a motion accepting for information a proposal from the society for the ongoing maintenance and development of the park.
The park is located along Highway 579 and contains an existing day-use area and hiking and cycling trails.
“I’ve been working with these people for several years and they are highly motivated and experienced mountain biking individuals,” said Coun. Greg Harris, whose Division 2 includes the 275-acre park. “In fact some of the leaseholders in the area are members of the West22 Society.
“They are very well supported within the community. I think having an organization work with us in the county will ensure that development goes forward at a reasonable pace and a well thought-out pace.
“They are committed to low-impact recreation and it will be a benefit down the road for the community as well as for tourism because it will become a destination.”
The county received approval from the province in 2024 to expand the park.
In a briefing note to council, Chris Atchison, the county's director of legislative services, said, “During the application process (for expansion), administration was approached by the West22 Trail Society who has expressed an interest in assisting with the maintenance and further development of Bagnall Park specifically to encourage increased mountain biking and hiking opportunities on the lands.
“The society has developed the attached proposal which outlines the high-level strategy on how Bagnall Park could be developed to facilitate a multi-use site with a focus on maintaining the lands in their natural state as much as possible, increasing safety of users and providing greater options for users of all skill levels.
“A strong focus of the proposal is ongoing communication and collaboration with administration to ensure that the project proceeds with county support and in alignment with the provincial disposition requirements.”
The society presented a trail management plan and development plan to council outlining plans for four years starting in 2025.
The society has set a number of goals for 2025, including establishing a trail stewardship agreement between West22 and MVC, design and install trailhead and intersection signage in collaboration with MVC, expanding the volunteer network and boosting community involvement in trail building and maintenance, refine and maintain existing trail network, and identify temporary creek crossings.
The 2025 also includes improving trail conditions by widening trails to 50-70 cm tread width and clearing low branches to 2.3 metres for user clearance, trimming trail grass in early July, and strengthening sections over wetlands, sensitive areas, and stream crossings.
There are also plans to create a new trail along the lowest slope areas in the west quarter to create a direct route to the north side of the lease.
“A key priority for 2025 is improving the grading and routing of existing trails to prevent erosion, enhance safety, and increase accessibility,” the plan states.
“This will involve digging and bench-cutting targeted sections and building an entirely new bench cut trail which would provide easy access to remote areas, in care of emergency.”
The society also present a document outlining a proposed formal trail stewardship agreement with the county for new and existing trails within the park.
“This trails stewardship agreement proposed is intended to be reviewed in conjunction with the West22 Trail Society trail management and development plan which contains detailed work plan,” the proposal document states.
Responsibilities outlined in the trail stewardship agreement include trail maintenance and upkeep, environmental protection and stewardship, public engagement, volunteer management, reporting and documentation, partnerships and funding, and emergency preparedness.
Following the May 21 council meeting, director Atchison told the Albertan, "It is their (West22) hope to begin undertaking work on the first part of the project this summer. We are currently negotiating the Trail Stewardship Agreement with them and should have it wrapped up in the next few weeks, I don’t expect there will be any delays in getting them operational before the end of June."
The complete development and stewardship plans are available for viewing on the county website.
