Typical of Frank Dwyer, the Kamloops Naturalist Club, Grasslands Council and others of their type (“Damage to Grasslands a growing concern in green circles,” April 24). Complain after the fact.

I am sure they are all busy with projects identifying areas of sensitivity, and educating the public as to why they should stay off that area. I have not seen this occur yet.

I would agree that there is some rogue trail building that needs to be addressed. I would agree that trail building is somewhat damaging to natural areas. That is an extensive topic with no easy solution.

I would also say that the Naturalist Club, Grasslands Council and the City would adamantly state that “No blade of grass or any spec of dirt should ever be disturbed.” That's not realistic either. Do we want to live in that kind of society, where enjoying the outdoors is outlawed?

Trail building is desired by a number of groups — hikers, horse riders, and cyclists. These groups would like to see trails developed for the pure joy of communing with nature.

It is healthy to get outside to enjoy activity and the scenery this area has to offer. Trail building and use is the most minimally intrusive activity humans can take next to outright leaving an area alone. I would think cattle grazing is more damaging to an area overall than trails would be.

How about subdivision development? That is grasslands destruction to the extreme. Even the worst trail building barely compares to that scale.

People like to build trails close to where they live so that their children do not have to commute to some far-off neighbourhood. Kids like to do this for fun. In this case people are blissfully ignorant of the damage they are causing because Frank and similar groups have not taken the time to identify every ecologically sensitive area within the city of Kamloops.

Possibly, if Frank identified that area first and got one of the groups together to educate the public on that area then this tragedy to nature would not have occurred in the first place.

Otherwise, how is the general public to know not to ever touch that spot? The City could help by identifying these areas on the City online map with an explanation as to why that specific spot deserves to not be disturbed. If that flower grows everywhere, then maybe it’s not such a special spot.

That would be far better than preaching total abstinence of nature from the comfort of your home in a pretty subdivision that was formerly an awesome grasslands area.

DALE MacNEILL 

Kamloops