OFTR partners with Simcoe County Forest

From the Ontario Federation of Trail Riders

GOODERHAM, ON -- The Ontario Federation of Trail Riders (OFTR) announced on Wednesday that it has entered into a partnership with the County of Simcoe Forestry Department to invest $68,200 in improvements to the trail system and staging areas.

The County committed $68,200 in real dollars and the OFTR has matched the amount through the National Trails Coalition (NTC) Stimulus Program (www.ntc-canada.ca).

The OFTR and its affiliated clubs have been working with Simcoe County since 2005 when there was a proposed ban on off-road motorcycles in Ontario's largest municipal forest (30,000 acres). The OFTR has since entered into land use agreement under the Simcoe County Forest Recreation Policy. Two clubs, the Halton Off Road Riders Association (HORRA) and Simcoe County Off Road Riders Association (SCORRA) perform stewardship duties in 33 tracts under a use agreement between the County and the OFTR.

The project will involve trail improvements, signage and mapping supervised by John Heimstra, Simcoe County Projects Coordinator for the OFTR.

For more information about the Simcoe County Forest visit www.county.simcoe.on.ca/municipalservices/forestry.

For more information about HORRA and SCORRA visit www.horra.ca and www.scorra.ca, and for more on the OFTR go to www.oftr.ca.