Better Farming - January 2017

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Better Farming January 2017 AteToday? Thank a Farmer. 25
TROUBLE WITHTRAILS
Trails Act fact sheet released by the Ontario Ministry of
Tourism, Culture and Sport in October. The fact sheet
describes an easement as “an interest in land where the
landowner grants the easement holder a right of way over a
piece of land.” The sheet further notes that for the purposes of
the Trails Act such easements would be voluntary.
Easements would also contain covenants, which the sheet
describes as “a promise to do or not do something in relation
to the land.” Covenants would have to be agreed to by both
the landowner and the prospective easement holder. They
might address “the uses and activities permitted, restricted
and prohibited on the affected land and describing those uses
and activities.”
“Landowners would not be forced to grant easements for
trail-related purposes,” the fact sheet continues. It explains the
easement options in the Act are needed because easement
options in existing legislation “do not adequately address the
longstanding issue of securing land and long-term access to
land for use as trails.”
Connor says there was concern among trails organizations
that trails were being closed but that in many cases landown-
ers have returned to the fold. Snyder says he fielded a lot of
inquiries while he was at the snowmobile federation’s booth at
the International Plowing Match and Rural Expo in Welling-
ton County in September. He too says concerns about the
legislation are dwindling, although they haven’t entirely
disappeared.
“People had their minds made up,” says Snyder. “It’s hard
to get people educated after they’ve made their mind up.”
Markings on snowmobile trails include signs such as this one, which warns users of their
responsibilities and liabilities. Graham Snyder and his dog, Spud, are pictured with the sign.
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