MOUNTAIN LIFE - Blue Mountains | Spring 2018

SPRING 2018 ML BLUE 67 Sam Measures from Blue Mountain Resort, and Don Churchill of Kimberley Forest, it’s soon evident that what’s going on at Three Stage needs to be reigned in. And it’s no surprise. Anyone that has watched the growing popularity of the venue over the past decade, knows that something needs to be done. And now, hopefully, it is. Gould goes over the Provincial Parks & Conservation Reserves Act which is aimed at all things good: protecting ecosystems of all Ontario’s natural resources, maintaining biodiversity and providing opportunity for compatible, ecologically sustainable recreation, amongst other points. But it’s when he gets into the species list of Pretty River Valley Provincial Park that it starts to hit home. It’s an impressive list and one that is truly affected by a busy network of trails. These sensitive species include the cerulean warbler, an endangered species whose population size is dropping faster than any other warbler species. They don’t like a lot of human activity. The Louisiana waterthrush is a threatened species that also doesn’t do well with human activities. Green herons and spotted salamanders are threatened species found at the park. And the Jefferson salamander (recently discovered in the park) is an endangered species facing imminent extinction. Hart’s tongue fern is also a species at risk. It can be wiped out very quickly by invasive species. And guess how these invasive species, such as garlic mustard, wild chervil and phragmites are spread throughout a park? By trail networks, dirty bike tires and hiking boots. So what’s to be done? Well, according to Parks staff, it isn’t all doom and gloom. And they don’t want to shut the trails down. CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT A small sampling of Pretty River's biodiversity: Hart's tongue fern; cerulean warbler; yellow spotted salamander; green heron. ETHAN MELEG When biologist Ron Gould gets into the species list of Pretty River Valley Provincial Park, it starts to hit home. It’s an impressive list and one that is truly affected by a busy network of trails.