We know that many of you have heard the rumours that the DNV is implementing the Fromme Trail Classification Plan this year. Indeed, we can confirm that the district has has approximately $500K to spend on Fromme. But despite what you may have heard, this is not necessarily the death bell of trails on Fromme. The DNV is planning to complete a broad range of projects that will affect all trail users and they may include: signage, forest management, planting of restorative vegetation, and yes, trail changes.

There is an enormous opportunity for the NSMBA to help determine where, how, and what will be done on Fromme and the association remains dedicated to working with land owners to find solutions that work. Over the past two weeks, members of the Trails and Advocacy teams completed walkthroughs of Jerry Rig, Air Supply, Lower Oilcan, Grannies and Upper Crippler with the DNV and permitted maintainers. The discussion was very positive, and the NSMBA is determined to turn these positive discussions into positive actions. We are working with the maintainers and community leaders to:

• Formalize a vision for the Fromme trail network and each individual trail
• Assess each trail and identify areas of concern and areas of improvement
• Create a work plan that addresses the concerns and delivers improvement
• Partner with the DNV to implement the work plan and realize our vision of a secure trail network on Fromme

The NSMBA continues to work with DNV, but our voice is only as strong as the community that supports us. To be a part of the future of Fromme trails, we encourage you to join the NSMBA. As always, our door is open so please contact us with your questions or concerns. 

Welcome to the new NSMBA web site! As you might have noticed, a few things have changed. To get started with 2010 we've made a few modifications to the web site. We'd like to invite you to sit back, grab a beverage of your choice, and take it for a spin.

There are a few big changes for us, so if you notice any issues, or have any ideas, comments, suggestions, or concerns, please feel free to e-mail them to webmaster@nsmba.ca. Hit the read more link for details about the changes.

• Domain Change: We have changed from using nsmba.bc.ca, to using nsmba.ca. This should simplify things a bit, making it easier to remember and find the web site. The nsmba.bc.ca address will still work (it'll forward you here), and any e-mails addressed to addresses@nsmba.bc.ca will automatically get forwarded to the proper address@nsmba.ca (though if you want to be totally proper, you can update your address book as well).
• New Web Site Platform: The new site is based on Drupal, a widely used open-source content management system. The real strength in Drupal over other platforms lies in its ability to be extended. Within a very short timeframe we have already managed to integrate many custom functions into the site.
• New Membership Signup & Management Platform: CiviCRM is a constituent relationship management platform, which will allow us to streamline our membership signup and administration. It also provides a much easier solution for us to send out e-mail updates, and also the potential to manage event signup online.