Recreation Issues at Comox Lake Bluffs

ISSUE: Recreational use of the Ecological Reserve:

Not a large part of the province has been set aside for Ecological reserves so it is surprising that  some members of the public don’t really appreciate the special values which are represented in Ecological reserves. Some parts of the Comox lake Bluffs Ecological Reserve  have been used for mountain biking, running, camping horseback riding, dirt biking and beach use. All these activities  can lead to degradation of the ecological integrity of our Ecological reserves.

	On May 7, 2007,  members of the Friends of  Ecological Reserves Board visited the Comox Lake Bluffs with outgoing ER Warden Chris Pielou and the new warden Helen Robinson. One of the continuing problems we were able to see first hand was the damage done by mountain bikes on the fragile vegetation communities of the cliffs.
	May 2007: Signs of mountain bike tracks and erosion on the cliffs . Here reindeer moss is dislodged and permanent tracks are left imprinted on the thin soil of the slopes.  The rare plant community is impacted, and often permanently affected.