Yamaha Stay Outdoors Follow-Up
Sept. 12, 2024 - Yamaha Stay Outdoors Follow-Up
For the Dorr - Grasmere Motorized Trail Network restoration project EVADRS were able to employ a small crew from the Tobacco Plains First Nations to operate a machine used to complete some of the heavy work alongside the volunteers who laboured on the trails. The deep whoops were filled with road crush and compacted, after that the highs points of the whoops were pulled back over the crush and compacted giving it a more natural look. Native grass species were sewn along the sides of the trails and over any braided tracks which brought the trails back to rideable single tracks and made a difference to the landscape.
By the end of the 2024 summer season it has been shown that the restoration work has been a complete success. As of the fall 2024 EVADRS is working hard with volunteers to complete the last few sections of the project which will also go into the spring of 2025. With the help of the grants and voluntary work EVADRS is making a difference and there has been a lot of recognition and appreciation from fellow stakeholders in the area.
StellerImpact Grant
July 15, 2024 - StellerImpact Grant $5,000
Steller Vista Credit Union awards grants to successfully selected local groups with the aim to help fund projects that are planned and ready to roll. They select projects that have longevity, other sources of funding, relevance to the local communities and benefit a broad group of people.
The video production aims to highlight the importance of sustainable trails, EVADRSmembers and their continued support, as well as the sensitivity of the area and the relevance of protecting and sustaining the trail network.
The StellerImpact grant was combined with the Yamaha Stay Outdoors grant for the restoration project at the Dorr - Grasmere Motorized Trail Network.
Western Pine Clean-Up
April 27 - Western Pine Clean-Up Volunteer Day
This year, the EVADRS board and a number of volunteers spent the day at the Western Pine Recreation Site to clean-up the site and surrounding area.
CFKR Grant
April 10, 2024 - Community Foundation of the Kootenay Rockies (CFKR) Grant Award of $2,000
Community initiatives were funded by several endowments, including the Outdoor Recreation Fund which EVADRS received.
Fernie Free Press - https://www.thefreepress.ca/news/cfkr-reports-record-breaking-year-of-grant-funding-7341385
EVADRS - Fernie Fix
July 15, 2023 - Full page article in Fernie Fix discussing EVADRS
https://www.ferniefix.com/article/community/elk-valley-adventure-and-dirt-riders-society
Yamaha Stay Outdoors 2022 Grant Award
April 13, 2023 - Yamaha Stay Outdoors Grant Award - $11,200
EVADRS was one of only five recipients of the Yamaha Stay Outdoors Grant throughout all of Canada in 2022. This was a huge achievement and the funds were allocated to the much needed restoration of the Dorr - Grasmere Motorized Trail Network, aka Koocanusa. After over 30 years of trail usage and with no maintenance there were increasingly damaged areas with whooped out sections which had become unrideable and unsustainable.
The project has more depth than may be realized as the trails are on traditional First Nations lands where archeological assessments are required and it is a sensitive ecological area requiring native grass species and specific crush be used in any restoration. As such it became a costly project.
With the grant from Yamaha Stay Outdoors, EVADRS was able to get the project under way and notably it was EVADRS first grant, which also provided the leverage needed to apply for further grants towards signage, creating awareness, educating and informing users.
Fernie Free Press Article: https://www.thefreepress.ca/community/evadrs-receive-grant-for-trail-maintenance-in-koocanusa-area-5152703