It is perhaps the most important question animating users of Haro Woods near the University of Victoria: should Saanich create a B次元官网网址榖iking areaB次元官网网址� inside the popular urban forest?

While a non-scientific survey into SaanichB次元官网网址檚 draft management plan points towards a tentative yes, several questions remain.

Saanich until Nov. 30 after presenting its during a Nov. 9 open house.

The area with its mature Douglas firs has become a popular destination for walkers, joggers and cyclists, drawing users from inside and outside of Saanich. But this popularity has also caused environmental damage, while sparking conflict among users.

The draft management plan describes Haro Woods as a B次元官网网址渉ealthy urban forestB次元官网网址� that is a B次元官网网址渇unctioning ecosystem that welcomes respectful use,B次元官网网址� but the nature of this B次元官网网址渞espectful useB次元官网网址� remains in dispute, with no issue more contested than the question of off-trail biking.

B次元官网网址淎t time of writing, the Haro Woods Advisory Group and the general public are divided on the off-trail biking issue,B次元官网网址� the draft plan reads.

It promises staff would work with advisory groups and the public to explore possible solutions. They include B次元官网网址渃reating an area where people may ride, and build tracks and jumps as they please (a B次元官网网址榖iking areaB次元官网网址�) subject to conditions; and forbidding leaving the trail on bikes (off-trail biking) altogether, to determine the best course of action.B次元官网网址�

The biking area would appear in a B次元官网网址減reviously disturbed areaB次元官网网址� of Haro Woods.

The report says a B次元官网网址渂iking area will only proceed if sufficient support is received,B次元官网网址� with any specific plan subject to rezoning and a public hearing. If approved, this area would be subject to various conditions designed to cordon off the area and minimize environmental damage.

Respondents appear to favour this solution. Just under 64 per cent B次元官网网址� or 274 respondents B次元官网网址� said they would use a designated biking area, with just under 27 per cent answering in the negative. The rest were not sure. But the survey also suggests such a biking area would not necessarily address the problem. Almost three out of 10 respondents said such an area would not stop them from riding outside of it, with another 30 per cent not sure. Opponents, meanwhile, say that such an area would encourage only more off-trail biking.

The report also notes Saanich could prohibit damaging biking activity.

Overall, it calls for a combination of pedestrianB次元官网网址恛nly trails and multiB次元官网网址恥se trails that accommodate both recreational cyclists and pedestrians.

Responses to this proposal vary.

B次元官网网址淏iking, both for recreation and for transport, is a common and growing part of our culture,B次元官网网址� read one submission. B次元官网网址淕iven the very limited space available for recreational biking in Saanich, I think everything within reason should be done to encourage responsible recreational biking.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淲e need more trails, not less,B次元官网网址� read another submission. B次元官网网址淗aro Woods is a great place to bring young kids on bikes. Please build more mountain biking trails. We travel, 30 [minutes] on bike, specifically to Haro Woods to ride with our young children. It is a lovely asset to be out in the woods and a great destination to get them biking to it!B次元官网网址�

Others, however, would like to minimize, if not eliminate cyclists from the area entirely.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 concerned about what multi-use means,B次元官网网址� read one submission. B次元官网网址淭he biking in the forest has had devastating effects on the forest eco-systems, not to mention extremely dangerous to those on foot. I support walking trails only, to encourage people to stay on trails and minimize our impact.B次元官网网址�

Saanich council is set to consider the final management plan in early 2018.