Why did the Province undertake the stakeholder negotiations process before drafting the SRMP?
The Valemount to Blue River area has a long history of supporting a number of very diverse winter recreation activities, including snowmobiling, heli-skiing and backcountry skiing. The local people involved in these activities have an intimate knowledge of the local backcountry and that knowledge is critical to a successful winter recreation plan. However, as these activities have increased over the years, conflicts between these various user groups have also increased. The stakeholder negotiations that preceded the planning process allowed time for these user groups to share their knowledge of the area and increased mutual understanding and cooperation between them. This stakeholder information and agreement contributed to a draft plan that was well informed and clearly reflected the common ground between these differing interests. This draft SRMP was then presented to the stakeholder groups and the public for review, as a final check to ensure that the full range of interests were co
