Alberta Community Development is seeking input from Albertans on the Alberta Recreation Corridors Legislative Review - Report to the Minister of Community Development. The report includes 31 priority recommendations related to existing trails and to possible future development of recreation corridors in Alberta. Albertans are invited to provide feedback, rating their agreement/disagreement regarding each recommendation.

"Members of the review committee are to be commended for their dedication and hard work in developing this document regarding the operation and use of recreation corridors in the future," said Minister of Community Development Gene Zwozdesky. "Now it is important to take the report back to Albertans and request their review to ensure that it reflects their needs, and to gauge their level of support for each recommendation."

The committee, composed of MLAs Ray Danyluk (Lac La Biche-St. Paul and Review Committee Chair), Jon Lord (Calgary-Currie) and Ivan Strang (West Yellowhead), conducted a province-wide consultation in 2002. The consultation included workbook submissions, public and stakeholder meetings in nine Alberta communities, a provincial stakeholder forum and discussions with provincial government departments. The committee received over 1,000 workbook responses, and over 500 people participated in the public and stakeholder meetings. Over 70 representatives of provincial stakeholder organizations - from adjacent landowners to agricultural interests and forestry companies, trail operators to motorized and non-motorized trail users - took part in the provincial forum.

The report addresses the five main areas of concern to Albertans: liability; safety and policing; operation, maintenance and accountability; privacy and access; and environmental stewardship.

The recommendations and the questionnaire are available at www.cd.gov.ab.ca or by calling (780) 415-1167 in Edmonton, toll-free by first dialing 310-0000. Submissions must be received no later than February 12, 2004.

Contact:

Gene Zwozdesky
Minister
Community Development
(780) 427-4928 or 446-1144 (cell)

Chelsey Hoople
Communications
Community Development
(780) 427-1828