Impacts and remediation strategies for all-terrain vehicle use in the Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands Provincial Park

Impacts and remediation strategies for all-terrain vehicle use in the Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands Provincial Park

Mathew Bowles

Ontario Parks, Phil Careless

Shaun Watmough, Trent School of the Environment

#4901

2020

online

Haliburton County
Minden Hills

Ecological Restoration
Environmental Science / Studies
Recreation & Tourism

The Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands Provincial Park has reported over 15,500 metres of trails that have been degraded to some degree from prior all-terrain vehicle use. These trails have experienced soil erosion, with additional impacts potentially including soil compaction and declines in vegetative health. Proposed remediation strategies include mulching, tillage, planting native vegetation, decreasing trail traffic, and creating an invasive species management plan. The level of degradation on the trails was completed using visual analysis conducted by a park ranger, which overall lacks objectivity. Creating a more standardized classification system for the park is highly suggested, as well as a re-evaluation of trail degradation. Templates for trail assessments are included that can be adapted to the needs of the Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands Provincial Park, as well as some recommended strategies for trail remediation based on a literature analysis.