8 — Sunday, May 31, 1998 —- North Shore News north shore news MAIL B OX Mountain bike stories missed the mark Dear Editor: Re: Mountain: biking. The North Shore Mountain Bike Association (“NSMBA”) is) a not-for- profit society dedicated to mountain-bike advocacy and to related issues such as trai! access and environmerzal issucs. We currently have some 250 members, many of whom reside in) North Vancouver and in the Lower Mainiand. { write on behalf of the NSMBA in regards to ovo recent North Shore News Ottawa’s coho plan deserves appiause Dear Editor: In making a commitment to rebuild coho salmon stocks, Fisheries Minister David Anderson has actually made a decision to fully rehabilitate all wild salmon runs in B.C. This is because the rarer coho swim together with the returning sockeye, chum, pink and chinook salmon, and steel- head trout. Tf the highly efficient sciners are made to honestly address the bycatch issuc, I believe there can be very little commercial fishing for at least four years. We in the environmental move- ment will be publishing every action the seiners make on the Internet to make sure the litle coho are truly protected. Mr. David Anderson, may the wild coho splash a little water upon you, in your honor. David W. Ellis The Fish for Life Foundation Vancouver davidellis@lightspeed.be.ca | CARPENTER | ORGANIC TREATMENT _ Guaranteed 5 years Family Operated since 1934 Dr. MILes Price _PEST CONTROL . A 926-0230 * 7 stories: “War in the Woods” (May 20) and °Traii Trials trigger summit call” (May 24). These stories portray mountain-bikers as a group and mountain-biking as an acyivity in an inaccurate and dismissive fashion. Mountain-bikers come trom all walks of life; we are lawyers, doctors, dentists, business-owners, homemak- ers, police officers, students; we are your neighbors. We are hardly the irre- sponsible “gnarly dudes and dudettes” referred to so dis- missively in the North Shore News articles. The articles are quite cor- rect in stating that moun- tain-biking, as a recreational and (now Olympic-level) sporting activity, has come a long way and is here to stay. The articles and the quo- tations from park officials are, however, incorrect in characterizing = mountain- bike trails as “earthen gashes causing destruction of the earthen and alpine floor.” Mountain-biking requires trails. In almost every respect, these trails are unob- trusive filaments — barely ‘Vitamin House Aids in joint and connective PER SHUG OS AMIN SPTEAEES | Suu ni? Se, Crear tissue healing. PURE GLUCOSAMINE SULFATE 500 mg SALE °14°% 0: Helps relieve stress and anxiety KAVA KAVA EXTRACT 300 mg SALE °127% ca: ‘ 1929 Lonsdale Ave., North Vancouyer \980:5545° _ 2470 Marine Drive,West Vancouvér>© / 2240433 2635 includes: 48 mos a AA est’ 4th Avenue, Vancouver - 733-5210" scratching the expanse of the North Shore. They reguire noo cutung of the second growth North Shore forest. They disappear complete- lv it left alone for 3 vear. Many of these trails are used purely by mountain-bikers. These trail and activities impact minimally, if at all, on other people’s use of the North Shore forests. To universally portray these trails as “muddy verti- cal messes” and to say that the Smajority of these trails are bad tor evervone”™ is sim- phstic, uninformed and inac- curate. We invite vou, and parks and district officials on a walk-through of some repre- sentative trails to see how a typical well-maintained North Shore mountain bike trail can be consistent: with environmental ideals. While we appreciate vour kind, if somewhat belated, offer of assistance with the consultative process, the NSMBA has already taken various steps to consult and cooperate with interested parties. Representatives sit on the North Shore Recreation Advisory Committee with hiking, cquestrian, moun- taincering and sea-kayaking sroups. We have had long: stand- ing discussions with North Vancouver District and with B.C. Parks (Mount Sevmour). Many of our discussions with public land-owners relate to future trail-mainte- nance activities. The NSMBA recently organized a highly successful trail maintenance day on the Baden Powell trail adjacent to Mountain Highway. This trail maintenance day was attended by over 150 volun- teers. Our next trail mainte- mance day is tentatively planned for Saturday, July 4. Lee Lau Secretary and Director North Shore Mountain Bike Association lau@wedge.coin Will You Be Cooking This Summer? 5ugg- seta a E; indow covenngs for over 10 } rast N. Van, 984-4101 7. i Chrysler's discount superstore B®, RLOWOUT , be SS aN aa aon Loe @'' ® oe ” + —— 19,988! -AM/FM cassette + Deluxe intericr -Upgraded tire package Center console and much more! . *Net of RDA sewe $7, GRAND CHEROKEE ff o: LIMITEDS Absolutely louded including leather interior, V8 engine, C/D scund system. Alloy wheeis,alarm system & more Interested bahia *HEALTH ISSUES PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT *POLICY Volunteers § . Needed: | If you are interested in issues that involve the health of ethnic and cultural minorities living on the North Shore and want to be involved in helping to meet their needs -you The Ethnocultural - Minorities Advisory Group is one of seven .- gtoups appointed by the: North Shore Health ” Region Board to identify, consider, and advise about _ health issues. The Ethnoculcural Minorities Adviscry Group will represent a cross-section of the North Shore’ community ranging in age, culture and "perspective. For more information about this volunteer opportunity, phone . Jill Ackhurse ‘ac. ‘Deadline for expression of interesz is June 26, 1998. i ol #210, 171 West Esplanade, N. Van., B.C. V7M 339 Fax: 984-3 de reed Re er eniereeaseetnaks 1