list of acronyms: - the bluff trail – built by volunteers of ... · web view(btsp). the...

The Bluff Trail Stewardship Program (BTSP)

An overview of the proposed program prepared by Kimberly Berry and Mike Lancaster for the Woodens River Watershed Environmental

Organization (WRWEO)March 2017

ContentsList of Acronyms:.........................................................................................................................................1

Executive Summary.....................................................................................................................................2

Background:................................................................................................................................................3

The Bluff Wilderness Hiking Trail.............................................................................................................3

Harmful Human Impacts..........................................................................................................................3

In Search of Solutions..............................................................................................................................5

Project Outline: The Bluff Wilderness Hiking Trail Stewardship Program..................................................10

Program Goals:......................................................................................................................................10

Core Concepts of Program:....................................................................................................................11

Program Objectives and Outcomes:......................................................................................................12

Coordinator Responsibilities:.................................................................................................................13

Reporting:..............................................................................................................................................13

Program Evaluation:..............................................................................................................................14

Project Budget, Anticipated Expenses, and Incomes:................................................................................15

Total Anticipated Project Cost:..............................................................................................................15

Anticipated Expenses:............................................................................................................................15

Anticipated Income:..............................................................................................................................15

Volunteer Trail Steward Training...............................................................................................................16

List of Acronyms:

B.L.T. Beechville Lakeside TimberleaBLTR2T B.L.T. Rails to Trails AssociationBWHT Bluff Wilderness Hiking TrailBWHTSP Bluff Wilderness Hiking Trail Stewardship ProgramDNR Department of Natural ResourcesFBLWA Five Bridge Lakes Wilderness AreaFBLWASC Five Bridge Lakes Wilderness Area Stewardship CoalitionFBWHT Five Bridges Wilderness Heritage TrustG.P.I. Genuine Progress IndexHRTA Halifax Regional Trails AssociationLNT Leave-No-TraceNGO Non-Government OrganizationNSE Nova Scotia EnvironmentNSTF Nova Scotia Trails FederationSMATVA Safety Minded ATV AssociationSMBARTA Saint Margaret’s Bay Area Rails to Trails AssociationSMBSA St. Margaret's Bay Stewardship AssociationWRWEO Woodens River Watershed Environmental Organization

Bluff Trail Stewardship Program – Overview, March 2017 Page 2

Executive SummaryWoodens River Watershed Environmental Organization (WRWEO) and the St.

Margaret's Bay Stewardship Association (SMBSA) have agreed to work together to create a new

initiative called the Bluff Trail Stewardship Program (BTSP). The Stewardship Program is

designed to address the increased number and increased severity of harmful human impacts on

The Bluff Trail. SMBSA has already demonstrated success in creating and coordinating

stewardship programs for Troop Island as well as eleven (11) public islands in St. Margaret’s Bay

and has agreed to share its experience, knowledge and skill in this area with WRWEO.

Since 2015, it has become abundantly clear to WRWEO that The Bluff Trail needs a

coordinated and well-supervised stewardship program. In November 2016, WRWEO wrote to

NSE – Protected Areas & Ecosystems Branch about the growing evidence on the trail of harmful

human impacts including serious damage to soil from large campfires, the cutting of trees for

fire wood, building of furniture, and the clearing of areas for tents. After careful consideration

and consultation with NSE – Protected Areas & Ecosystems Branch and neighboring community

and volunteer organizations WRWEO is convinced that the only effective remedy to the

concerning activities on the trail is to initiate a well-coordinated approach focusing on both

educating users and increasing the visible presence of trained volunteer stewards on the trail.

While WRWEO has made considerable efforts to improve the situation on the trail, as a small

volunteer organization, WRWEO simply does not have the capacity to recruit, train, and

coordinate a pool of volunteers of sufficient numbers to address the needs of this large trail and

its challenging wilderness terrain.

Provided sufficient funding can be secured, the proposed stewardship program will

include both a paid coordinator position and a paid assistant position. With these positions the

program can offer sufficient worker-hours to recruit, train, and manage volunteers as well as

ensure an appropriately trained and experienced presence on the trail to achieve the type of

user engagement and educational approach required.


In collaboration with SMBSA, WRWEO has designed a program plan which employs Mike

Lancaster as Coordinator for 780 hours/year and an assistant for 1151 hours/year. The total

estimated cost of the program is approximately $42,000.00.

Background:

The Bluff Wilderness Hiking TrailThe Bluff Wilderness Hiking Trail was constructed by the Woodens River Watershed

Environmental Organization (WRWEO) under a letter of authority from the Nova Scotia

Department of Natural Resources. The trail is in the form of four stacked loops. The trailhead is

located on the BLT (Beechville-Lakeside-Timberlea) trail at a point midway between the Hwy

103 overpass just south of Exit 4 and the northern tip of Cranberry Lake. The loops stretch

south and west into the Chebucto Peninsula with the fourth loop surrounding Upper Five

Bridge Lake. Trail is located within the Five Bridge Lakes Wilderness Area. This area was

designated under the Wilderness Areas Protection Act in October 2011.

Construction of the trail was completed in 2005 and over the decade that followed, The

Bluff Trail has been visited by an increasing number of users many of whom enjoyed camping

overnight on the trail.

Harmful Human ImpactsBy 2015, ten years after construction of the trail was completed, WRWEO was aware of

a significant increase in the number of severity of harmful human impacts on the trail. Reports

of harmful human impacts were found in messages from trail users left in the trail ‘sign-in book’

such as:

… lots of garbage around Paradise Cove (6 June 2015)

… Too much new evidence of inappropriate camping :-( (12 June 2016)

… Too much destruction due to uneducated people (7 July 2016)

A more thorough documentation of human harms came in the form of a presentation

made to the WRWEO board of directors on 10 November 2015 by two skilled and respected

trail users: Heather Davis and Wade McIsaac. Among the issues of concern raised in their

presentation was evidence of:


garbage, toilet paper, and human waste

inappropriate and harmful camping practices

cutting and chopping of trees

fire pits on soft surfaces, damage to tree canopy

trail deterioration including widening and braiding

Also in November of 2015, WRWEO received a trail inspection prepared by Forest

Resources Technician Amy Marsters, for Nova Scotia Environment and dated 6 November 2015.

The trail inspection documented a variety of problems on the trail including nearly twenty fire

pits scattered throughout the trail system: 5 on Pot Lake Loop; 8 on Mi’kmaw Hill Loop; 2 on

Bluff Loop; and, 4 on Hay Marsh Loop.

Following the presentation by Davis and McIsaac and the receipt of the trail inspection

from Marsters, WRWEO sent a letter to Peter Labor, Director - and Heather Olivella, Central

Regional Coordinator - Protected Areas and Ecosystems Branch Nova Scotia Environment. The

letter was dated 30 November 2015 and was meant to “alert Protected Areas to [the] rapidly

developing issues on The Bluff Wilderness Hiking Trail” and to acknowledge that WRWEO was

“having difficulty addressing [these issues] effectively.”

As an example of the trend of increasing number of users on The Bluff Trail the letter

documented on Saturday 7 November 2015, over a period of fewer than two hours, more than

80 users were encountered on the trail. The letter also articulated the fundamental dilemma

faced by the directors of the WRWEO:

… [T]he prime purpose of building the trail was to protect wilderness by allowing

more people to become familiar with it and thereby to support efforts for

protection. We have achieved the goal of protection for our particular area and

now the success of The Bluff Trail poses an increasing threat to the ecological

integrity of that area. We are not a hiking group, but an environmental group,

although that could be changing. So we face questions such as: should we now

view our mandate, as a popular trail adjacent to our major urban area, to be

wilderness education in the larger sense involving both natural history and


wilderness skills OR should we simply close the trail for protection of ecological

integrity of the area. If the former, how do we do it? Are there other options, e.g.

banning all fires and overnight camping on The Bluff Trail? And internally we

must consider whether we can continue to function as a Woodens River

watershed group.

In Search of SolutionsFollowing the submission of the letter, WRWEO has participated in a series of meetings

with staff from Protected Areas and reached out to other organizations in the sector including

St. Margaret’s Bay Stewardship Association (SMBSA) to seek support and identify the most

effective and desirable methods of addressing the mounting problems on the Bluff Trail. After

much discussion and thoughtful consideration, WRWEO has concluded the best strategy to

stem the rising tide of human harms on the Bluff Trail is through initiatives which focus on

education and awareness among trail users and which visibly increase the presence of trained

stewards on the trail. Both of these elements - education and presence - are essential to the

success of this approach.

In an effort to increase awareness among trail users WRWEO initially posted temporary

signage outlining the problem of harmful human impacts. The signage read in part:

The Woodens River Watershed Environmental Organization (WRWEO) has recently noticed a dramatic increase in the effects of HARMFUL HUMAN IMPACTS on the Bluff Wilderness Hiking Trail. The Bluff Trail is located within the Five Bridge Lakes Wilderness Area a designated protected area under the Wilderness Areas Protection Act WRWEO is working closely with Nova Scotia Environment (NSE) and Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to identify solutions. Some of the main concerns are related to:

TRAIL WIDENING; TRAIL SPURS; TREE CUTTING; CAMP FIRES; TOILET PAPER; HUMAN & DOG WASTE

Soon after, WRWEO placed additional signage which offered trail users more specific

instructions on how to minimize their harmful impact on the trail. The following message was

placed at each of the trail junction points throughout the four loops.


Minimize Your Impact on the Trail and Wilderness Area

Follow official trails. Travel single file in the centre of the trail, even through wet and muddy areas. Use only Approved Leave No Trace Educational Sites for camping.*

Pack out all food (including peels and shells) and litter including toilet paper. Bury human and dog waste at least 60m off trail and away from water or pack it out.

Leave rocks, plants, trees, and other natural objects as you find them. Do not build an Inukshuk, furniture, cairns or fire rings.

Open campfires are prohibited. Camp stoves and user-supplied fire bowls are permitted. Observe wildlife from a distance. Do not follow, approach, or feed animals. Feeding

may cause aggressive behaviour. Dogs should be leashed (HRM Bylaw A-300). Be courteous to others. Enjoy the sounds of nature.

*WRWEO is currently working with Nova Scotia Environment – Protected Areas to

identify Approved Leave No Trace Educational Sties for camping

In addition to the temporary signage, WRWEO also made an effort to increase its

presence on the Bluff Trail for purposes of engaging and educating trail users, monitoring and

documenting trail conditions, and remediating damaged areas. To this end, WRWEO

collaborated with SMBSA to engage two students from the Natural Resources Environmental

Technology (NRET) program at Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC).

Under the supervision of Mike Lancaster, Stewardship Coordinator for “Eyes on Islands –

St. Margaret’s Bay Island Community Stewardship Program”, the two NRET students, Allyssa

Poulin and Kaitlyn Enders, spent three (3) days and two (2) nights on the trail in May 2016. The

NRET team documented trail conditions and evidence of harmful human impacts, they

evaluated proposed sites that might be used as designated Leave No Trace (LNT) Educational

Camping Sites, and created a “Trail Steward Orientation Package” to be used in the training a

team of volunteer stewards for the Bluff Trail.

To further address the need for an appropriate stewardship presence on the trial,

WRWEO broadened its collaborative efforts and joined an initiative that included SMBSA,

SMBARTA (Saint Margaret’s Bay Area Rails to Trails Association), SMATVA (Safety Minded ATV

Association), and FBWAHT (Five Bridges Wilderness Heritage Trust). Together these five

organizations (including WRWEO) secured funding to hire Allyssa Poulin and Kaitlyn Enders as


summer students. Through this initiative Poulin and Enders were able to spend approximately

twelve (12) additional days on the Bluff Trail engaging and educating trail users about the

importance of practicing Leave No Trace (LNT) principles within the Five Bridge Lakes Protected

Wilderness Area.

By July 2016, WRWEO developed two information handouts to help inform trail users

about LNT practices and to offer suggestions of users might volunteer their time to help the

Bluff Trail. A copy of this handout can be viewed at: https://drive.google.com/open?

id=0B4hch_IZZfoQaDIyWHdRSC1lSUU.

The first is an 8 ½ x 3 ½ double-sided

leaflet containing information on the Bluff

Wilderness Hiking Trail, Leave No Trace (LNT)

principles, wilderness safety, and a number of

ways to help the trail.

The second handout is in the style of a classic tri-fold brochure printed double-sided on

an 8 ½ x 11 page. In addition to a map of the trail, this handout also offers information on the

Bluff Wilderness Hiking Trail, Leave No Trace (LNT) principles, a brief guide on how to perform

and report on trail conditions, how to report a user count, and information on common

problems on the trail such as campfires, off-leash dogs, trial widening, and trail braiding. Finally,

the handout features a list of twelve ways for individuals to help the Bluff Trail. A copy of this

handout can be viewed at: https://drive.google.com/open?

id=0B4hch_IZZfoQTmlsY1dmTlRaVU0.


https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B4hch_IZZfoQTmlsY1dmTlRaVU0

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B4hch_IZZfoQTmlsY1dmTlRaVU0

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B4hch_IZZfoQaDIyWHdRSC1lSUU

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B4hch_IZZfoQaDIyWHdRSC1lSUU

WRWEO also facilitated a volunteer training session early in July 2016. Approximately

seven (7) volunteers attended and expressed interest in a variety of volunteer activities;

however, none were particularly eager to commit to engaging other users on the trail in the

capacity of a volunteer trail steward.

In August 2016 and with support from Nova Scotia Environment – Protected Areas &

Ecosystems Branch, WRWEO posted signage at three LNT Educational Camping Sites. Currently,

camping is only permitted at these sites. By focusing camping activities at these designated

sites, WRWEO hopes to minimize the harmful impacts of camping on the trail. Each of these

sites offers a relatively flat and durable camping surface and minimizes the likelihood of

campfires being placed under the tree canopy. Two of the sites, Crow/Ka’qaquj and

Coyote/U’lukwej, are located on Mi’kmaw Hill Loop not far from Frederick Lake. The third site,

Squirrel/Atutu’wej, is located on the cross section of the Bluff Loop. Additional sites may be

identified and designated; however, for best success, it is necessary to have frequent visits to

each of the sites to encourage highest possible LNT practices among campers and to remediate

damage as quickly as possible.


Coyote/U’lukwej Site:Latitude 44.64224Longitude -63.78316

Crow/Ka’qaquj Site:Latitude 44.64116Longitude -63.78411

Squirrel/Atutu’wej Site:Latitude 44.63094Longitude -63.7953

The culmination of these efforts resulted in the presence of trained summer students

and or volunteers on the trail for fewer than three (3) weeks. The summer students were

present on the trail and engaging trail users on fourteen different days: June 27; June 28; June

29; June 30; July 4; July 5; July 6; July 7; July 8; July 20; July 21, July 22; July 23; and, July 24.

These days included: 1 Saturday; 1 Sunday; 2 Mondays; 2 Tuesdays; 2 Fridays; 3 Wednesdays;

and, 3 Thursdays. The total number of hours spent on the trail in this capacity was 85.3 hours or

an average of six (6) hours a day over the fourteen days. During their time on the trail, the

summer students engaged approximately 400 trail users.

On 15 July, a small team from NSE also spent a day on the trail, but due to poor weather

conditions were only able to engage a few small number of trail users. There were two (2)

additional days (Saturday 1 October and Saturday 12 November) when a WRWEO volunteer

spent a few hours on the trail similarly engaging approximately 80 users during those two (2)

days.

Even with these efforts, WRWEO was only able to achieve approximately 17 days of a

meaningful ‘user engagement’ presence on the trail. This is clearly not sufficient considering the

large volume of users on the trail year-round.

Given that the WRWEO does not have the capacity to recruit, train, and coordinate a

team of volunteer stewards to fulfill the need on the Bluff Trail, WRWEO proposes a joint

project between WRWEO and SMBSA to create a The Bluff Trail Stewardship Program (BTSP)

with Mike Lancaster in the role of Stewardship Coordinator. The purpose of the Bluff Trail


Stewardship Program would be to decrease the impact of human harms on the trail; improve

Leave-No-Trace (LNT) practices among trail users; enhance sustainability of the Bluff Trail; and

ensure best possible stewardship practices in this part of the Five Bridge Wilderness Area.

Given the volume of trail users, the significant length of the trail, and the remote

location of much of the trail, success of this project will require the oversight of a Stewardship

Program Coordinator, a Stewardship Program Assistant, and a pool of Volunteer Trail Stewards.

SMBSA has already demonstrated success with stewardship programs for nearly a dozen islands

in St. Margaret’s Bay including Troop Island and Micou’s Island. SMBSA will collaborate with

WRWEO to transfer the skills, knowledge, and experience necessary to establish a sustainable

stewardship program on The Bluff Wilderness Hiking Trail.

Project Outline: The Bluff Wilderness Hiking Trail Stewardship Program

Program Goals:The Bluff Wilderness Hiking Trail Stewardship Program is designed to achieve the following

goals:

To reduce the harmful human impacts on the ecological systems, and individual living organisms that call the FBLWA and the Bluff Trail home

To reduce the amount of illegal activity on the Bluff Trail through education and liaising with NSE Conservation Officers

To educate users of the Bluff Trail about to harmful human impacts and how their behaviours can be adapted to either reduce or eliminate these impacts

To increase the current level of volunteer engagement by recruiting and training volunteer “Bluff Trail Stewards” and holding regular volunteer Stewardship work days

To educate users of the Bluff Trail about the laws that apply to the FBLWA, as well as the general status of the FBLWA and Bluff Trail

To educate users of the Bluff Trail about the work of WRWEO, NSE, FBLWHT, DNR and SMBSA and how they can get involved with their efforts and contribute to the stewardship of The Bluff Trail

To increase the current levels of monitoring of on-trail ecological systems and organisms, trail infrastructure, community use, and user safety

Proposing and implementing appropriate stewardship techniques as required To coordinate an educational outreach campaign to educate stakeholders and keep the

trail-user community engaged with trail issues To secure sustainable funding for the continuation of the BTSP


To take on some of the burden of WRWEO’s organizational tasks in order help to secure the long term viability of the organization

To have a consistent contact person to act as community and government liaison and coordinate and report on the general affairs of The Bluff Trail

To create a clear baseline of trail infrastructure for ongoing stewardship of the trail To monitor and promote the use (when necessary) of the designated Leave No Trace

Educational Sites To increase the current level of remediation on damaged sites Establish protocols for the best possible protection of endangered species, species of

interest, and sensitive habitats, ecosystems and organisms To create a formal compendium of the all of the species of flora and fauna that are

present on the Bluff Trail or in the surrounding area To expand the collaborative potential for multi-organization projects – i.e. post-

secondary internships, other non-profit organizations, outdoor recreational groups To determine, and carry out, best practice stewardship, and management, treatments

to ensure the ecological integrity of the Bluff Trail while allowing for continual use by the community.

Core Concepts of Program:The Bluff Trail Stewardship Program (BTSP) consists of two core concepts: Ecological

Stewardship and Community Stewardship.

Ecological Stewardship: Human presence and activity creates negative impacts on the

surrounding ecology. The primary intent of the Bluff Trail Stewardship Program (BTSP) is

to measure, monitor and catalogue these impacts and, once determined, select the best

stewardship techniques for the reduction, or elimination when possible, of these

impacts.

The ecological stewardship of the BTSP will work to determine the key habitats for

present endangered, uncommon, or sensitive species of flora and fauna, as well as whole

ecosystems and move to ensure that tailored stewardship treatments are enacted to help

promote the long term viability of these species in the Five Bridge Lakes Wilderness Area

(FBLWA). This may take the form of seasonal restrictions on access or extra measures of

monitoring and educational outreach.


Community Stewardship: The Bluff Wilderness Hiking Trail (BWHT) is a tremendous

resource to the community that uses it - a community that extends far beyond the

reaches of Nova Scotia, let alone Halifax Regional Municipality. With this level of use

comes a responsibility of working to secure the ongoing stability of the relationship

between stakeholder groups (the Mi’kmaq, trail users, environmental and community

NGOs) and government departments. This balance may be difficult to strike as not all

parties will have the same definition of what responsible use of the BWHT looks like.

Therefore, the primary intent of the community aspect of the BTSP is to act as the

conduit for both the government and stakeholder interests while ensuring that the

ecological stewardship of the BWHT is considered.

The largest component of the community aspect of the BTSP is community education

and outreach. This will help promote aspects such as volunteer/community engagement,

education on applicable laws, best-practice stewardship techniques, special considerations, and

safe use of the BWHT.

Program Objectives and Outcomes:During the course of its first year The Bluff Trail Stewardship Program (BTSP) will work to

meet the program goals stated above. Some of these goals will have a clear mechanism to

determine their success (i.e. the creation of a full species compendium and trail infrastructure

inventory) while others will be more difficult to evaluate. Success of the latter will be

determined by: the delivery of educational programs, and their attendance, by the number of

trail users engaged and educated, by the number of volunteers recruited and the number of

attendees for workshops and work days, and by the reduction of harmful, or unlawful, activities

that occur on the BWHT.

After the first six (6) months, program activities and operations will be measured and

assessed to determine what level of success has been achieved. The level of success will be

determined for each goal and program strategies and activities will adapted accordingly.


Coordinator Responsibilities:As coordinator of The Bluff Trail Stewardship Program (BTSP), the following responsibilities

will fall to Mike Lancaster:

To function as liaison for the involved organizations, community stakeholders, and government departments

To perform regular monitoring of Bluff Wilderness Hiking Trail (BWHT) infrastructure and community use

To educate users of the BWHT about the applicable laws of the Five Bridge Lakes Wilderness Area (FBLWA)

To perform regular remediation of damaged or illegal camp sites and impacted areas To coordinate, recruit, educate, train, and manage volunteers who will contribute to the

BTSP – Volunteer Trail Stewards To educate the stakeholders/trail users about the BTSP To determine and implement best-practice stewardship techniques and activities To contribute to the management of trail infrastructure To locate and secure additional sources of funding to help ensure the extension and

continuation of the BTSP To act as the general contact for inquiries and issues in regard to the affairs of the BWHT To contribute to the organization-related tasks of Woodens River Watershed

Environmental Organization (WRWEO) To promote the ideology of the BTSP, WRWEO, St. Margaret’s Bay Stewardship

Association (SMBSA), Five Bridges Wilderness Heritage Trust (FBWHT) and Nova Scotia Environment – Protected Areas Branch (NSE)

To create and contribute to an ongoing species compendium of the flora and fauna of the BWHT

To monitor the established “Leave-No-Trace” (LNT) Educational Sites and to inform users of limits in place related to camping on the BWHT

To coordinate, manage, and evaluate part-time staff and volunteers

Reporting:Program reporting for the Bluff Trail Stewardship Program (BTSP) will be delivered by

the Stewardship Coordinator directly to Woodens River Watershed Environmental Organization

(WRWEO) and St. Margaret’s Bay Stewardship Association (SMBSA). Additional summary

reports and liaising will be delivered to the Five Bridges Wilderness Heritage Trust (FBWHT) and

Nova Scotia Environment – Protected Areas & Ecosystems Branch (NSE).


Direct reporting will take the form of weekly template reports that will include the following

content:

Staff and Volunteers hours contributed Number of trail users engaged/educated Occurrences that are in violation of laws or stewardship principals Trail monitoring – time and location – trail section Number of volunteer hours coordinated – weekly and running total for the year Infrastructure issues identified or addressed Objectives for the upcoming week Objectives for the current month Total number of trail users Activities of users Updates on stewardship initiatives Reports of observed fauna and signs Total number of dogs – off and on leash

Program Evaluation:Some program components will be easily measured with quantifiable data. For example:

the amount of time staff and volunteers are present on the trail, the number of trail users they

engage, the number of damaged sites which require remediation, and the amount of time

spent on the remediation of these sites. Each of these program components will be calculated

and recorded to offer quantifiable measures of program activity and achievement.

The first year of program activity will offer a baseline to measure future activity against.

Initially, it will be difficult to judge whether the engagement and education of trail users

produces a positive change in relation to previous years. Observation of concerning issues over

the past year will offer some indication of initial success, but it will take at least two years of

program operation to produce a satisfactory catalogue of data to produce meaningful analysis

of program impact. Therefore, while periodic evaluations will occur every six (6) months, the

true success of the program will be determined after it has had its first total evaluation at the

end of its second season.


Project Budget, Anticipated Expenses, and Incomes:

Total Anticipated Project Cost:The total estimated cost for the one year of operation for The Bluff Trail Stewardship

Program is approximately $42,000. If SMBSA and WRWEO are not able to secure the full

amount of funding, we will undertake a modified version of the Stewardship Program with

fewer coordinator and assistant hours. Stewardship Program hours could be reduced to

accommodate a program with only $22,572 of total funding if the Coordinator Position included

only 10 hours per week or 520 hours per year and the Assistant Position included only 8 hours

per week or 416 hours per year. However, the success and sustainability of this program is

largely, if not entirely, dependent on the ability of the Stewardship Coordinator and Assistant to

ensure adequate presence on the trail. Reducing the hours of these positions will significantly

compromise the stewardship presence on the trail and undermine the success of the program.

SMBSA and WRWEO have determined that a Coordinator Position at 15 hours per week

or 780 hours per year and an Assistant Position at a total of 1151 hours a year will be best

placed to ensure success of the program. The following tables illustrate anticipated expenses

and income based on these hours.

Anticipated Expenses:Item Description Cost

Coordinator Position 15 hours/week or 780 hours/year @ $25.00/hour $19,500.00

Assistant Position 32.5 hours/week for 30 weeks (975 hrs) during trail season + 8 hours/week for 22 weeks (176 hrs) during “off-season” for a total of 1151 hours/year @ $17.00/hour.

$19,567.00

Tools & Equipment Biodegradable rope, biodegradable flagging tape, gloves, etc. $1,500.00Printing Materials Trail handouts, information brochures, notebooks for

documentation and reporting, etc.$1,000.00

Total Anticipated Expenses $41,567.00

Anticipated Income:WRWEO is seeking funding from a variety of sources including:

A BTSP fundraising request went out to the members and friends of WRWEO on December 10, 2016. In response to this first call for support, WRWEO raised $535 from Dec 10, 2016 to


January 25, 2017, there was a further commitment for another $1300 (through monthly $50 instalments) for a total of $1,835.

On January 25, 2017, WRWEO sent out a second call to its membership to donate and announced that WRWEO had received word from an anonymous supporter who was willing to match any new donations (up to a total of $3 000.00) received before March 1st, 2017. The friends of The Bluff Trail responded with a further $1,450 in donations that will be matched by our anonymous supporter for a sub-total of $2,900 plus the $1,835 from the initial request for donations, for a grand total of $4,735.

In March 2017, WRWEO received confirmation from Nova Scotia Environment – Protected Areas and Ecosystems Branch of a $10,000.00 grant in support of the BTSP.

WRWEO also received a $2500.00 grant from Royal Bank of Canada – Blue Water Project, Community Action Grant.

WRWEO and SMBSA have also submitted a application to Mountain Equipment Co-op Access & Activity Grants program.

Additionally, Five Bridges Wilderness Heritage Trust has recently announced a new Environmental Stewardship Grant Program that allows community members or groups to receive funding for projects that align with the Trust’s objectives. WRWEO and SMBSA have also submitted an application for an Environmental Stewardship Grant and are confident that the Bluff Trail Stewardship Program is exactly the kind of initiative that the Trust is looking to support.

Volunteer Trail Steward TrainingThe initial training sessions have already begun. Mike Lancaster has led two training days for individuals interested in becoming volunteer trail stewards. These training sessions focus on engaging trail users and offering information about the rules which apply to The Bluff Trail. There was also information about the history of the trail and some of the vulnerable species that inhabit the area.

The first BTSP Volunteer Trail Stewards training day was held on February 25th 2017. It was led by Mike Lancaster, the Coordinator of the BTSP and attended by one board member and five volunteers.

The second training day was held on March 18th 2017. Again the training was led by Mike Lancaster and attended by eight volunteers. Two board members were on site at the beginning of the day meet the volunteers, but did not participate in the training.


For more information about the Bluff Trail Stewardship Program or to learn how to become a BTSP Volunteer Trail Steward contact:

Mike Lancaster, Coordinator – Bluff Trail Stewardship ProgramEmail: [email protected]: 902-441-7672


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