Mountain Bike Alliance, c/o Community Wise #101, 223 12th Avenue SW Calgary, AB T2R 0G9 [email protected]

June 1, 2020

Honourable Jason Nixon Minister of Environment and Parks, House Leader Members of Executive Council Executive Branch 323 Legislature Building 10800 - 97 Avenue Edmonton, AB T5K 2B6

Dear Minister Nixon,

Re: Optimizing Parks

The Calgary Mountain Bike Alliance (CMBA) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to build and maintain trails for the benefit of Calgary and area mountain bikers. For almost 25 years, our group of volunteers has worked with both the Provincial Government and the City of Calgary to provide safe, world-class, environmentally sustainable multi-use trails. These trails are designed for a wide-range of activities, including mountain biking, hiking, and trail running. They create value for many user groups.

The CMBA holds the only License of Occupation Agreement for a Mountain Bike Skills Park in an Alberta Provincial Park, and we believe the CMBA to be the exact type of organization that the Province intends to consider for the type of partnership opportunities and alternative management approaches first announced by the province in March 2020. The CMBA respectfully requests that the Ministry of Environment and Parks postpone work on its Optimizing Alberta Parks plan until it has made a thorough effort to consult intimately affected organizations such as ours.

We are seeking the opinions of our membership – and the outdoor recreation community in general – about the Optimizing Alberta Parks plan, and will share our findings soon. Until then, please do not hesitate to contact the CMBA. An open dialogue and a strong relationship with the Province is something the CMBA considers extremely valuable.

Sincerely,

The Calgary Mountain Bike Alliance Board of Directors Sterling Smith Jackie DeGoeij David Couroux Don Yuen Blair Becker Don Hill Paul Lindfield Kate Lindfield Blair Cunningham

CC: Honorable Mr. , Premier of the Province of Alberta Honorable Ms. , Minister of Economic Development, Trade, and Tourism Mr. , MLA for Calgary Fish Creek Ms. , MLA for Banff-Kananaskis Greater Bragg Creek Trails Association Moose Mountain Mountain Bike Trail Society Canmore and Area Mountain Bike Association Spin Sisters Mountain Bike Club YYCMTB Alberta66 The Bike Shop Calgary Cycle Bow Cycle Ridleys Cycle Bike and Brew B&P Cycle and Sports PedalHead Bicycle Works Bike Bros