NEW LEAF INNOVATIONS
YOHO SCOUT RESERVE
INTERIM MANAGEMENT REPORT
APPENDICES
7 January 2011
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
APPENDICES .................................................................................................................................. 20
Appendix A .......................................................................................................................... 21
Appendix B........................................................................................................................... 33
Appendix C ........................................................................................................................... 47
Appendix D .......................................................................................................................... 57
Appendix E ........................................................................................................................... 72
Appendix F ........................................................................................................................... 83
Appendix G ........................................................................................................................ 100
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APPENDICES
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Appendix A. Development and projection of yield curves for Yoho Scout Reserve, by T.
Harrison, 2011
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INTRODUCTION
The objective of this report was to develop timber yield curves for each stand type found on the
Yoho lake woodlot. Timber yield curves determine the amount of volume (m3/ha) at any particular age
of forest development. These yield curves are essential for determining how the stands on this woodlot
will develop overtime. The yield curves will be used in forest modeling software called Remsoft. A
timber cruise was conducted and the resulting data was used in developing these yield curves. The data
will be run in a forest growth model called Staman. The Staman growth model package was created by
the New Brunswick Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and was provided by an employee Adam
Dick. The resulting yield curves will be the fundamental base of the forest model and a fundamental key
to this project.
METHODOLOGY
Timber Cruise
The first step in developing timber yield curves involves collecting data from the forest. A
timber cruise was designed for the Yoho lake woodlot using a forest stand layer from New Brunswick
DNR. The woodlot consists of 45 stands and each was identified as either a density or prism sampling.
Density sampling stands involved a 3.99m radius plot and counting the number of regenerating stems
within. Prism sampling stands involved a 2 BAF prism plot which involved counting and measuring the
diameter of trees. Also the prism sampling stands had a 3.99m radius plot that involved counting the
understory regeneration.
At every plot a represented tree was identified. The represented tree had the species, height,
diameter, age, and vigour data collected. The timber cruise design selected was a dog leg cruise with a
minimum of 2 plots per stand. Selected were a 1% cruise intensity for the prism plots and 0.5% cruise
intensity for the density plots which resulted in a total of 168 plots.
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The stand types were identified for each stand using the collected timber cruise data. The
percent species composition was determined for each stand. The species composition was then used
with the New Brunswick Forest Inventory Database stand type definitions (NB DNR. 2009). Four stand
types were identified as red spruce mixedwood (RSMX), balsam fir mixedwood (BFMX), red maple
mixedwood (RMMX), and tolerant mixedwood (TOMX) according to the definition. This is more accurate
than using the provided New Brunswick DNR air photo interpretation stand types.
Staman: Stand Tables
The data collected from the timber cruise was used to create stand tables for each stand on the
woodlot. The stand tables are used in the New Brunswick DNR Staman growth model package. The
stand tables were created in Notebook and then saved as a .stn file to comply with the Staman software
(Norfolk C. 2004). Each stand tables require the average stand age, site code, species code, cohort age,
diameter class, LVT code, density, and species name (Table 1).
Table 1. A stand table file example that was created in Notepad (Note: Used proper spacing).
65
65
65
65
65
65
65
65
65
65
65
65
65
65
65
65
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
8
13
13
13
13
14
55
80
120
10
20
30
35
45
65
75
130
10
30
95
125
15
22
32
48
2
4
12
14
18
26
30
38
4
16
48
66
6
232
232
232
432
432
432
432
432
432
432
832
1332
1332
1332
1332
1432
13
13
13
500
100
13
50
25
38
13
13
100
25
13
13
200
rS
rS
rS
bF
bF
bF
bF
bF
bF
bF
eC
rM
rM
rM
rM
yB
 Average Stand Age: Determined the average of the cohort ages.
 Site Code: Determined which one of the three site types using the Staman criteria.
 Species Code: Used the Staman criteria to determine the corresponding code.
 Cohort Age: Age of each diameter class for each species (Diameter/Age Ratio).
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 Diameter Class: The diameters for each tree species from the timber cruise data.
 LVT Code: A combination of the species code, site code, and climate code. The climate code was
determined from the Staman criteria.
 Density: Determined stems per hectare of each diameter class for each species.
 Species Name: Used Staman criteria to determine the corresponding abbreviation.
Important Information: Diameter/Age Ratio
The cohort ages were determined using the representative tree data that was collected. A
diameter class and corresponding ages were used to determine the average growth rate for each
species. Then the average growth for each species was used to create diameter/age ratio charts (Table
2). Also a separate advanced regeneration balsam fir chart was created to allow for properly account for
its older age and smaller diameter.
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Table 2. The determined average growth of red spruce and the diameter/age ratio chart for the Yoho lake woodlot.
Red Spruce
Red Spruce
DBH (cm)
Age (yrs)
Growth (cm/yr)
DBH (cm)
Age (yrs)
20.6
44
0.5
2
5
23.5
100
0.2
4
10
23.3
74
0.3
6
15
23.8
68
0.4
8
20
16.4
44
0.4
10
25
26.2
76
0.3
12
30
29.9
110
0.3
14
35
13.5
26
0.5
16
40
10.8
27
0.4
18
45
11.3
30
0.4
20
50
Average Growth
0.4
22
55
24
60
26
65
28
70
30
75
Staman: Batch File
Running the 45 stands separately through Staman would be time consuming and potential
errors could occur from multiple runs. The Staman program has the option of running multiple stand
tables at once called batch files. The batch files are created in Notepad and then saved as an .inp file to
comply with the Staman software (Norfolk C. 2004). Each stand type had a batch file created using the
corresponding stand tables. The batch files require the number of iterations, group file, grow file,
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survival file, ingrowth file, local volume table file, self-thinning line code, Staman report file, and stand
table file (Table 3).
Table 3. A batch file example that was created in Notepad.
ITERATIONS 50
REDISTRIBUTE 6
BACKCAST OFF
GROUP Calibration/2006-TF-Nat-BETA.grp
GROWTH Calibration/2006-TF-Nat-BETA.gro
SURVIVAL Calibration/2006-TF-Nat-BETA.srv
INGROWTH ON Calibration/2006-TF-Nat-Climate3-FT.ing
C - Local Volume Table for Unmanaged Stands
LVT Calibration/NatStaman5Climate3.LVT
C - Set 3/2 self thinning line, output reports, and stand
table
STL ON 26 <-(Self-thinning line Code)
REP WK StamanReports\BFMX_Stand#1.txt
STAND StandTables\BFMX_Stand#1.stn
RUN
STL OFF
STL ON 10
REP WK StamanReports\BFMX_Stand#4.txt
STAND StandTables\BFMX_Stand#4.stn
RUN
STL OFF
 Iterations: The number of years to forecast (5 year periods)
 Group File: Links each species to a growth & survival function and a local volume table.
(Provided in Staman package)
 Grow File: Contains growth relationships based on New Brunswick permanent sample plot data
for each species across a range of sites. (Provided in the Staman package)
 Survival File: Contains survival relationships based on New Brunswick permanent sample plot
data for each species. (Provided in the Staman package)
 Ingrowth File: Predicts new regeneration following tree death. (Provided in the Staman
package)
 Local Volume Table File: Contains local volume tables. (Provided in the Staman package)
 Self-thinning Line Code: Bases on species type and the site code selected for the stand.
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 Staman Report: Selected the Remsoft output as a text file.
 Stand Table: The stand tables (.stn) created from the timber cruise data.
Staman Reports
The generated results from the four batch file runs resulted in a report text file for each stand.
Each report text file consists of 5 year age classes and corresponding volumes for each species. Also
each species is broken down into pulpwood and sawlog volumes (Table 4).
Table 4. Example Staman report text file output.
*Y BFMX_Stand#1 ?
;Age 13
65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100
;Total 13 154 152 149 146 142 138 134 131
rSPLP 13
5
4
4
3
3
3
3
3
rSLOG 13
37 39 39 40 40 39 39 38
bFPLP 13
12 10
8
6
5
5
5
7
bFLOG 13
34 35 35 35 33 30 28 24
eCPLP 13
7
7
7
7
8
8
8
8
eCLOG 13
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
rMPLP 13
49 47 45 44 42 41 39 38
rMLOG 13
10 10 10 10 10 10
9
9
yBPLP
yBLOG
13
13
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
2
0
3
0
4
0
5
0
YIELD CURVES
The information from the Staman reports was imported into Microsoft Excel under the
corresponding stand types. A weighted average was calculated for each stand type to create the average
yield curve. After analysing the growth patterns under each stand type a trend was identified. The young
and regenerating stands growth patterns were similar but significantly different than the immature and
mature growth patterns. Thus a regenerating based yield curve and a current status yield curve were
created for BFMX, RSMX, and RMMX stand types. The TOMX stand type did not show this trend and
remained as one yield curve. The cause of this trend can be attributed to the previous unknown history
that has occurred in the older stand types. Past harvesting, insect damage, wind storms, and many other
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factors that has altered the development of these stands. The younger stands are the result of clearcut
harvesting and have been reset to there original growing pattern which explains the stands being
similar. Once the older stands are harvested or breakdown they will reset back to the regenerating
growth pattern (Figures 1-7).
Red Spruce Mixedwood Yield Curve (Regenerating)
350
Volume (m3/ha)
300
250
200
150
100
50
195
185
175
165
155
145
135
125
115
105
95
85
75
65
55
45
35
25
15
5
0
Age (Yrs)
Figure 1. Each stand and the weighed average yield curves for the Red spruce mixedwood regenerating stand type.
Red Spruce Mixedwood Yield Curve (Current Status)
350
Volume (m3/ha)
300
250
200
150
100
50
195
185
175
165
155
145
135
125
115
105
95
85
75
65
55
45
35
25
15
5
0
Age (Yrs)
Figure 2. Each stand and the weighed average yield curves for the Red spruce mixedwood current status stand
type.
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Balsam Fir Mixedwood Yield Curve (Regenerating)
350
Volume (m3/ha)
300
250
200
150
100
50
195
185
175
165
155
145
135
125
115
105
95
85
75
65
55
45
35
25
15
5
0
Age (Yrs)
Figure 3. Each stand and the weighed average yield curves for the Balsam fir mixedwood regenerating stand type.
Balsam Fir Mixedwood Yield Curve (Current Status)
350
Volume (m3/ha)
300
250
200
150
100
50
195
185
175
165
155
145
135
125
115
105
95
85
75
65
55
45
35
25
15
5
0
Age (Yrs)
Figure 4. Each stand and the weighed average yield curves for the Balsam fir mixedwood current status stand type.
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Red Maple Mixedwood Yield Curve (Regenerating)
350
Volume (m3/ha)
300
250
200
150
100
50
195
185
175
165
155
145
135
125
115
105
95
85
75
65
55
45
35
25
15
5
0
Age (Yrs)
Figure 5. Each stand and the weighed average yield curves for the Red maple mixedwood regenerating stand type.
Red Maple Mixedwood Yield Curve (Current Status)
350
Volume (m3/ha)
300
250
200
150
100
50
195
185
175
165
155
145
135
125
115
105
95
85
75
65
55
45
35
25
15
5
0
Age (Yrs)
Figure 6. Each stand and the weighed average yield curves for the Red maple mixedwood current status stand
type.
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Tolerant Mixedwood Yield Curve
350
Volume (m3/ha)
300
250
200
150
100
50
195
185
175
165
155
145
135
125
115
105
95
85
75
65
55
45
35
25
15
5
0
Age (Yrs)
Figure 7. Each stand and the weighed average yield curves for the Tolerant mixedwood stand type.
Future Outlook
With the completion of the other individual reports a better understanding of what
management treatments will be needed. These yield curves then can be modified to simulate the effects
of the desired management treatments. An example of this would be a selective management
treatment. This treatment has a 30% removal every 25 years and the effects of this can be placed on the
yield curves. The yield curve can drop by 30% then grow for 25 years than dropped again by 30%
resulting in a saw toothed pattern.
CONCLUSION
The average yield curves will be used in Remsoft for modeling the development of the Yoho lake
woodlot. Developing the yield curves using the data collected from the actual woodlot will be more
accurate and dependable than provincial yield curves. These yield curves are site specific and will result
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in higher quality results. The accuracy and quality of a forest model is based on sound yield curves and
thus will result in more powerful management tool.
REFERENCES
NB DNR. 2009. New Brunswick Natural Resources Data Dictionary. New Brunswick Department of
Natural Resources. P. 10-11
Norfolk C. 2004. Staman 5.5 User Guide Supplement. New Brunswick Growth and Yield Unit. P. 1-12
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Appendix B. Development of business plan methods for Yoho Scout Reserve by, C. Ingram,
2011
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Yoho Scout Reserve is a Scout Canada property. It is managed by the Rivorton Area
Management Committee. New Leaf Innovations has been hired by the management
committee to provide a comprehensive management plan for the reserve. Goals and objectives
for the land base were determined through meetings with the Rivorton management
committee. It was determined that a breakdown of separate areas of the management
objectives would be addressed by different members of the New Leaf team. The purpose of this
report was to address the business plan goal and consequent objectives for the management
plan.
Objectives that fell under the business plan goal were potential revenue, marketing
strategies, and programming. Potential revenue dealt with timber supply, facility rentals, and
site use. Marketing strategies dealt with methods to inform users of the Yoho Scout Reserve,
and programming dealt with implementing activities that would increase usage of the property.
It was concluded that all parts of the management plan hold equal value and the plan
should not revolve around one central idea. All values placed on the site should be examined
and presented as a trade-off analysis in comparison to each other.
A list of items needed to be dealt with was constructed, and a link to the rest of the
management plan was created to show how everything fits together and the direction New
Leaf Innovations would like to take when addressing these management concerns.
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INTRODUCTION
The Yoho Scout Reserve is a 258 hectare (ha) piece of property owned by Scouts
Canada. New Leaf Innovations has been hired by the managing committee of the reserve to
create a property management plan that addresses values they have for the land in conjunction
with the principles of Scouts Canada.
The initial development of the management plan by New Leaf Innovations was to
determine goals and objectives for the land area based on primary meetings with the client. As
a result of this meeting, it was determined that one of the major goals for the Yoho Scout
Reserve was the development of a business plan. Objectives to be achieved under this plan
were to be potential revenue sources for the property and facilities, marketing strategies, and
programming recommendations to enhance interest in the property as sources of revenue.
The purpose of this report is twofold; one is to provide examples and insight on how to
achieve the afore mentioned objectives, and the second is to explain how the actions of the
business plan tie into the overall intention and direction of the management plan put forward
by New Leaf Innovations
With land management, finances are impacted for every management action. As a
result, this business report should be used as a reference to align all parts of the management
plan when completing the final report for the client.
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GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
It was determined from the primary meeting with the client that one of the overarching
goals for the management of the Yoho Scout Reserve was the development of a Business Plan.
The main objectives for the property under this goal were potential revenue, marketing
strategies, and programming [Figure 1].
Figure 1. Goals and objectives determined for the management of the Yoho Scout Reserve by
New Leaf Innovations (Source: New Leaf Innovations Progress Presentation, 2010).
The breakdown for each objective under the business plan goal was determined to
ensure efficient and effective management recommendations of the property.
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POTENTIAL REVENUE
Potential revenue is to be examined from three potential sources; timber production,
site and facility rental, and site use. The purpose of exploring various options for revenue
generation is to expand the options the reserve has when making land management decisions
and to increase operability of the site both from a longevity perspective and usefulness
perspective.
Scouts Canada operates as a non-profit organization and so does the Yoho Scout
Reserve. Much of the operating budget is gained through volunteer work and monetary
contributions. It is optimal for the reserve to generate enough revenue so that they can operate
without financial loss year to year. Any gained revenue above expenses would be used to
improve the property operations. It was expressed from the management committee that
different methods of revenue generation would be welcome in place of simple forest
harvesting plans.
MARKETING STRATEGIES
Currently the Yoho Scout Reserve offers a wide variety of options available to Scouts
Canada groups not only from the province of New Brunswick, but from all over Canada,
specifically Atlantic Canada. Campsites, hiking trails, canoeing, swimming, skating, and lodge
getaways are but a few options the reserve has to offer interested parties. If options for
revenue generation included access of the site to parties outside the Scouts Canada family then
the development of marketing strategies was determined to be part of the business plan
objectives for the site. It was also recommended that this may be a simple method to inform
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other Scouting groups of resources available to them that may not be present in their area of
Scouting. The aim of marketing strategies would be to develop a way to inform users about the
reserve and doing so increase the usage of the facilities.
PROGRAMMING
Programming is the implementation of activities or events useful in learning and life
skills development (Merriam-Webster, 2010). It was determined as part of the business plan
goal, that an increase in programming at the reserve may lead to an increased usage of the
property. This objective ties in with a few other objectives, but the main ideas to gain from this
objective are the development of life skills programs for scouting members. Badges are a large
part of the Scout movement. The opportunity for Scouting members to achieve some of their
badges in unique manners through characteristics the reserve has to offer may increase the
usage of the property.
CURRENT FINANCIAL STATE
The current financial state of the Yoho Scout Reserve was obtained for the purposes of
writing this report [Figure 2]. There is a large contribution from volunteer work that helps
operate the site that was not figured into this report, but should be used when recommending
management techniques on the reserve. Further discussion with the Yoho management
committee needs to be addressed to accurately project financial figures and complete decisions
with financial importance.
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Figure 2. Current financial statement for Yoho Scout Reserve obtained from the Yoho
management committee.
Based upon the financial statement primary concerns needed to address are with
maintenance and repairs, and snow plowing. Maintenance costs will always be incurred, but it
should be a focus of the land management to provide the most economical methods of
maintenance for roads, campsites and trails. Combined with future revenues generated from
new property management techniques, this will hopefully decrease the deficit of the reserve.
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POTENTIAL ACTIONS
POTENTIAL REVENUE
Timber Production
One possible avenue of income generation for the Yoho Scout Reserve is timber. The
property is heavily forested, with little of the property having direct impacts with human use.
To assess the potential for timber revenue stands must be created from an inventory and yield
curves developed from these data. Markets within the region must also be looked at to assess a
value for the volume of accessible timber. After this assessment is made, management
prescriptions must be made that satisfy both revenue requirements, and other land
management objectives. To ensure complete management for all client objectives the goals for
all objectives need to be looked at carefully. If timber does provide the best source of revenue
for the reserve, the impacts on other objectives will need to be looked at and weighed for
importance.
Site and Facility Rental
The Yoho Scout Reserve has a variety of services to offer parties interested in using the
property (Foreman, 2010). Site facilities and available dates with contact information are
readily available at www.yohoscoutreserve.com. The revenue generated by the use of facilities
would have to be compared with timber supply, but trade-offs should be easily understood.
Problems associated with facility rental however would be liability on behalf of Scouts Canada,
as well as projecting full usage of the site. Scouts Canada also maintains a no alcohol policy for
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the use of their properties which may prove to be a hindrance when trying to book events at
the lodge such as weddings, office retreats, and getaways. Maintenance costs for everyday
upkeep would also increase, and there may be a need for full time groundskeepers to ensure
efficient operation of the property.
Site Use
Site use in the context of this report, means the use of parts of the property for
activities such as hiking, snowshoeing, and skiing, but not the campgrounds or buildings.
Provincial and national parks such as the Cape Breton Highlands (Canada, 2010) employ day
passes as part of their revenue streams. Snowmobile clubs use trails for winter use, and often
contribute to the maintenance of these trails (Snowmobile, 2010). Again liability on part of
Scouts Canada is an issue, but these groups may be able to use areas outside the high Scout
traffic zones, and generally will show high respect to land owners willing to let them use their
land.
MARKETING STRATEGIES
A good marketing strategy will enhance what the reserve has to offer as well as cater
itself to the main users of the property (Webster, 1984). Webster (1984) went on to describe
that understanding what the client requires is essential to giving them what they want in a
product, or in this case a piece of land. For this to happen, people need to be aware of what is
available to them at the Yoho Scout Reserve. The website previously mentioned is an excellent
tool for communication, but an information booklet detailing trails, activities, pictures, and
rates would improve the chances of increased usage of the site. A brochure from the province
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of New Brunswick for Mount Carleton [Appendix A] is a very good example of what could be
constructed for the Yoho Scout Reserve. Although a bit lengthy, the Mount Carleton brochure
would be a proper template with which to create marketing brochures for the reserve. Along
with paper copies of the brochure, it could be made available on the internet site for
convenient client viewing. The marketing strategy aspect of the business plan would occur after
all management decisions were made. This way, the user would know what was available to
them, and there would be no confusion as to the direction management would be taking with
respect to land and facility management.
PROGRAMMING
Programming is directly associated to what is wanted at the site by the client.
Implementing new activities is costly and time consuming, especially if they do not interest
users. Programming should be completed in direct conjunction with research and development
aspects of the management plan. Together these two areas should provide adequate
information to implement new ideas over the reserve that will make it more attractive to users.
HOW DOES IT FIT IN?
Fitting everything together from a financial point of view is very difficult. Although the
goal of the management plan is to provide accurate and insightful land management for various
values on the Yoho Scout Reserve, without managing for monetary values they may be
unobtainable. All aspects of the management plan must be taken into consideration and then
prioritized. They are all webbed together in a way that does not make one value or objective
more important than the other and each one influences the other [Figure 3].
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Figure 3. Example of connectivity between values for the Yoho Scout Reserve, Yoho Lake, New
Brunswick, by C.Ingram, 2010.
Tradeoffs must be shown, and a variety of possible outcomes displayed for the client so
they can make an informed decision for what they feel is best for their property and future. To
complete the trade-off analysis, each value must be planned for both separate and in
conjunction with all other values used for managing the property.
GOING FORWARD
Based on the above descriptions, a detailed list of what needs to be accomplished to
complete the business portion of the final management plan can be constructed. These items
only display what portion of the business plan need to be addressed outside the subjects that
need to be looked at in conjunction with other aspects of the management plan [Table 1].
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Dates and completion times can be further detailed upon the combination with the rest of the
interim management plan.
Table 1. List of items to be completed for the business plan on Yoho Scout Reserve, Yoho Lake,
New Brunswick, by C. Ingram, 2010
TO BE COMPLETED:
Further detail on volunteer contribution, capabilities, time, and knowledge
Breakdown of maintenance and repairs
Willingness to change pricing and rates for facility rentals
Willingness to explore options for outside users
Marketing knowledge and capabilities
Programming capabilities
Projections of future revenue generation
Trade-off analysis between various values placed on the reserve
Full and complete detail for various revenue gains outside sole timber production
CONCLUSION
The Yoho Scout Reserve is owned by Scouts Canada. It is under management by a
committee in the Revorton area. New Leaf Innovations has been hired to provide a
comprehensive management plan for the land base. Part of the goals and objectives
determined for the reserve was the development of a business plan to provide future insight to
revenue generation, and possible uses for the facilities. Potential revenue sources from timber
supply, facility rentals, and site use were described. It was determined that the business plan
could not be the determining factor for the management decisions as neither could other
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values places on the site. Everything was intertwined, and there was no value that had a higher
importance than other values. All values should be completely managed for separately, and
then combined together to generate fair and accurate trade-off scenarios from which the
management committee at Yoho can make informed decisions.
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LITERATURE CITED
Canada, P. (2010). Cape Breton Highlands National Park. Retrieved December 28, 2010, from Parks
Canada: http://www.pc.gc.ca/apps/tarifs-fees/tarif-fee_E.asp?park=15
Foreman, H. (2010). Yoho Scout Reserve Rivorton Area. Retrieved December 28, 2010, from
http://www.yohoscoutreserve.com/
Merriam-Webster. (2010, December 28). m-w.com. Retrieved December 28, 2010, from programming
definition: www.m-w.com
Snowmobile, N. B. (2010). Code of Ethics. Retrieved December 28, 2010, from New Brunswick
Federation of Snowobile Clubs:
http://www.nbfsc.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8&Itemid=6&lang=en
Webster, F. E. (1984). Industrial Marketing Strategy (3rd Edition ed.). John Wiley & Sons.
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Appendix C. Research and development of user interest for Yoho Scout Reserve by J. Briggs,
2011
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Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Chris Smith for helping with the focus group survey of the scouting groups
and help arranging meetings with the groups. As well I would like to thank Dr. Tom Beckley for his help
with how to survey children in the form of a focus group. Also would like to thank Professor Brian
Sergeant for his guidance, as well as Keith Barr and Bill Richards our client representatives for there help
with contacts for the Scouts Survey.
Introduction
The Yoho Scout Reserve is a wilderness reserve owned by Scouts Canada and the goal of the
land base is to provide for the interests of the various scouting groups. Scouts are divided into 5 groups
which are divided by different age ranges and are listed as follows: Beaver scouts are the youngest with
members ranging from 5-7 years of age; Cub Scouts are second youngest being 8-10 years of age; Scouts
are 11-14 years of age; Venturer scouts are 15-17 years of age and last Rover scouts are 18-26 year old
adults (Scouts Canada website). Because of the wide range of ages there will be some variations in what
is valued from the scout reserve by each group of individuals. This report will focus primarily focus on
the younger age classes of scouts including from beavers to scouts and to some extent venturer’s. This
will aide in directing land management decisions as to provide for the interest of these groups.
Understanding what interest children of various ages on the Yoho land base will also aide in determining
ways that management can improve the area for other outside users, such as use by families for
recreation. The economic values of land bases have shifted over the years from land being valued for
timber to being valued for other things (Waggener, 1985). This shift has seen increasing potential for
land to generate revenue through recreation. Increased usage of the Yoho reserve buy families for
camping would increase revenue for the Scouts.
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Methods and Results
To determine what the younger groups find desirable in the Yoho Scout reserve as well as what
they would like to see; improved, maintained or changed, a focus group “survey” was conducted
followed by research from literature. The goal of this is to determine what draws, or could draw,
individuals of various ages to the Yoho land base and how to increase interest in the area over a wide
range of age groups of scouts, as well as people outside scouts Canada who may use this area for
recreation. Because the goal of this land base is also to provide funding, to be used to both maintain
and improve the area for the scouts, bringing in revenue from the recreational use of the area by
outside groups would be very beneficial.
The value of land for recreational use is dependent on different attributes of the area including
location. The general rule used for site evaluation is a 30 mile (aprox. 50 km) radius of a park or
recreational area will be the source of people who will use the area for day visits (Miles, 1977). This
means people would be willing to travel up to 50 km for weekend trips to an outdoor recreation area.
This however is a general maximum distance and does not account for competition from other areas
that may have similar recreational value (Miles, 1977). The Yoho scout reserve is located 25 km from
Fredericton, which is a major population center for New Brunswick, with surrounding areas which fall
well within the maximum radius of the land reserve. There are other recreational land reserves within
this radius as well. These recreational areas vary from city parks; consisting of walking trails, picnic and
grassy areas, gardens and duck ponds which offer quite different recreational opportunities to areas
that are just outside the city limit with similar features to that of Yoho. To increase the use of the land
base it should include recreational values unique to the general area and different from that of
competing recreational areas (Miles, 1977).
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Yoho scout reserve is located adjacent to the Yoho Lake with a portion of lake front property
owned by the reserve. This area provides recreational value for swimming and canoeing and other
water related activities. In the interest of the younger group, which is the main objective for this report,
this will require supervision primarily in the form of scout coordinators or parents/ guardians.
Mactaquac Provincial Park located about 20 km (Google Maps, 2010) from Fredericton shares
overlapping demographic with the Yoho scout reserve. This park also provides for recreation revolving
around water oriented activities in the form of beaches and canoeing/kayaking opportunities
(www.mactaquacgolf.com/thepark.html). Mactaquac also provides two supervised beaches which
provides a benefit for its recreational value and makes it more competitive to Yoho. Similarly Killarney
Lake also provides a supervised swimming/beach area (www.mactaquacgolf.com/thepark.html) and is
only located about 8 km from Fredericton (Google Maps, 2010).
To help determine how the Yoho Scout Reserve could be improved to benefit the local scouting
groups which use the land base a focus group survey of three groups was conducted; the 3rd of
Fredericton , the 5th of Fredericton and the 1st of Riverton. The Rovers was the only group from 1st of
Riverton sampled. This group was comprised of 18-26 year olds many of which were leaders of younger
scouting groups. They were able to give some insight on what they believed would increase interest of
younger groups in the land base. The Rovers were also able to give ideas for the reserve that could help
them improve their ability to make scouts enjoyable for the younger groups. They expressed a strong
desire to limit any potential harvesting or major changes in close proximity to the main lodge and field
(Jensen Lodge). This area was deemed to be important for the children for recreation; the field near the
lodge enables children close accessibility to the building when cold or tired. An interest was also
expressed in the development of interpretive trails that allowed for teaching possibilities and for ways in
which the scouts could earn different merit badges. It was discussed how the children are often very
curious and ask lots of questions so an interpretation trail would facilitate this. Strong interest was
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expressed for a new field for recreation. With the interest of younger groups in mind it was suggested
that this area contain Adirondack’s (figure 1) so children could get warm and avoid bad weather.
Younger children would not be able to travel as great of a distance on foot to reach this field so road
access would be a crucial consideration. This could be considered with other management decisions
such as making a new proposed loop road.
Figure 1 photo of an Adirondack style building/lean-to. Picture
provided by Scouts Canada, Camp Mush-A-Mush.
The intent of this report is more importantly to try to draw information directly from the
younger scouting groups themselves. The objective being that they may be able to give insight into
ways to improve the area as to increase interest by children in their age range. In the sampling of the
following two groups the children themselves were asked general questions to try to draw upon their
interests and what would make them enjoy their experience at Yoho more. Feasible suggestion can be
used to improve management decisions and effectiveness as well as avoid spending money on things
that may not be of priority to the interest of the younger groups. This will avoid focusing on areas that
we assumptively perceive to be of interest to them when in fact it is a misconception.
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The Beavers scouts were sampled from the 3rd of Fredericton to determine interests associated
with the youngest (5-7 year old) age range. The group was asked whether they enjoyed being out side
or in side when they play or go to scouting events. There was a roughly even split between those
individuals which preferred being inside and those who wanted to be outside. Interest for playing out
side was increased when the idea of playing games in the field at Yoho was mentioned. Having buildings
near the field, to use periodically, increased their interest in playing out side as well. This coincides with
the aforementioned perspective from the older Rover group when they were sampled. When asked
what activity they enjoyed most in scouts another very popular response was for sleepovers. During this
activity they put up tents inside the gym at the local building they meet in such as a church and watch
movies. Another building (if feasible) similar to that of Jensen Lodge (large main lodge on the Yoho
scout reserve) would provide extra space for sleepovers to occur in a heated building on the Yoho
reserve. This would allow for activities to occur outside on the reserve prior to sleeping in the tents
inside and increase the interest that the Beaver scouts have for the Yoho reserve as they progress to
further scouting levels. It would also show a benefit for placing any potential recreational activities
closer to the lodge where sleepovers will occur.
Other activities that drew a lot of interest from the Beavers were: sledding, bonfires and seeing
birds and animals. This shows need to maintain the sliding hill presently located near the lodge as well
as campfire areas. They also like to see big trees when they are walking and to be near the water. An
interpretive trail close to the lodge would best suit the younger scouts that cannot hike as long a
distances but would like to see wildlife. Presently the lodge is close to the lake and this area of the land
base is composed of larger trees including some impressive mature white pine (Pinus strobus).
Maintaining this area in its present condition would be the main management focus for the area
surrounding the lodge. An interpretive trail in this area should try to encompass a portion along the lake
and incorporate some larger impressive trees close to the trail. Placards with animals associated with
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the habitat and that present a possibility of being viewed from the interpretive trail would allow children
to associate animals with the area they are in. This would allow them to identify animal signs and look
for the animals. Pictures of what animals and signs would increase the experience if no animals happen
to be present at the time they are on the trail. It must be mentioned as well that many members in this
groups have not yet been to the Yoho Scout Reserve.
The 3rd group sampled was from the 5th of Fredericton and was composed of Cub Scouts, Scouts
and some Venturer Scouts. The Cub Scouts (8-10 years of age) had some similar interests to that of the
previously mentioned Beavers but also some new and very interesting input. When asked about
activities that they enjoyed there was strong interest for games played in the fields similar to that which
was desired by the Beavers. In addition to this there was a strong interest in fishing and swimming in
the lake as well as for the construction of an ice rink.
Swimming interests would be maintained by maintaining the quality and integrity of the lake
(water quality and other lake features) and assessing risk associated with it as a source of recreation by
younger individuals. Fishing would involve some research into populations of fish within the lake and
would generally only effect land management activities in that they should not produce any negative
effect on the watercourse which generally should be a priority anyway. The construction of a fully
functional hockey rink would cost a lot of money but an out door ice surface may well be easily
obtained. If an area could be set aside in either the present field or the proposed new field that could
be flooded with water in the winter to produce an ice surface for skating it may increase interest of
younger scouts into the Scout reserve. Several factors would first have to be assessed however. For
instance to have a low lying area that maintains water in the winter for a rink may conflict with other
objectives of a proposed field such as drainage of the field (Miles, 1977) for use in the non winter
seasons. Also associated safety concerns must be examined if an ice surface was to be implemented.
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Ideas generated for the proposed new field and trails by the Cubs were quite helpful for
addressing some management possibilities. First off for the development of the trail system there was a
strong interest in having a winding/ weaving trail system through the woods as opposed to straight trail
systems. This would make trail design more easily avoid biologically sensitive areas and areas in which
trail construction is more difficult. When asked about a new field scouts seemed very interested in a
new field for games. They mentioned leaving some trees in the new field during its development. Some
areas will still be required to be more open and cleared while other may be able to maintain some trees.
The Cub’s said that they would be fun to run through and use for different activities. Following this
comment several Scout leaders (which are in the Rovers class of scouting) liked this idea as well and said
it would be an asset for different scouting activities.
Scouts were sampled as well as a couple of members from a Venturer Scouting group. Input
was mainly received from the Scouts for this sample. This group had all been to Yoho and expressed
strong interest in the out doors. It was very interesting that they had a similar idea for the purposed
field to that previously mentioned by that of the Cub scouts. They also wanted to have a new field as
they greatly enjoyed wide games (educational and team building games played by scouting groups) but
also wanted to see some trees remaining in the field following its development. This group also
expressed interest in a potential interpretive trail and in viewing wild life while at Yoho. There was also
an interest to be able to do some bird watching while at Yoho. Having placards along trails that
indicated species of birds present and how to distinguish them could prove educational and enjoyable
for the Scout level groups. There was also an increased interest expressed for outdoor activities for this
group including camping (backwoods camping also), building shelters and other structures. Structural
additions to the Yoho reserve were also expressed such as constructing a zip line and a lookout tower.
These two interests may be able to be combined if their construction was to come to pass. Safety and
liability concerns will be important when considering these as options.
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The sampling of the various Scouting groups was conducted as a focus group type sampling
method. The reason for this was both to avoid legal conflicts and to be able to determine what the
Scouts would like to see in the most general of terms as to allow for more substantial responses from
the younger groups. Questions were asked in a manor to direct answers towards areas relevant for
land-use planning. Questions were pre-determined but asked in a manor as to seem spontaneous and
more like friendly conversation (Krueger, 1988).
Conclusion
Some very valuable ideas were produced by the focus groups survey and should help lend some
insight into management decisions. Many of the ideas developed from what the younger scouts would
like to see on the land base are feasible plans. Having a skating rink in the form of a seasonal ice surface
would be relatively inexpensive. Also the ideas purposed by the Scouts surrounding the idea of a new
field were very helpful. An area cleared with retention of some trees could be easily adapted to a
harvesting plan for a proposed field. When deciding the location for the new field many factors can be
considered like accessibility by the younger scouts. If walking longer distances is more difficult for them
then planning any proposed loop roads for the land base should also take into consideration access to
the new field by vehicle if it is to be a large distance away. The Scouts and Venturer level groups
expressed a large interest in building different things and may be of use for any potential construction to
occur in Yoho. It also appears that the ideal location for the interpretive trail would be located near the
main lodge (Jensen) and encompass some area along the lake in the interest of the younger scouting
groups.
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References
Krueger A. Richard, (1988), Focus Groups: A Practical Guide for Applied Research, California, United
States of America, SAGE Publications, Inc.
Waggener Thomas R. Sedjo Roger A. (1985), The Economics of Shifting Land Use Margins, In Investments
in Forestry: Resources, Land Use and Public Policy, Colorado US, Westview Special Studies In Natural
Resources and Energy Management, Westview Press, Inc (pp. 35-43).
Miles C.W.N, Seabrooke W., (1977), Recreational Land Management: Site Evaluation, New Fetter Lane,
London Spon Limited (pp.70-81).
Google Maps, 2010, Maps of property distance of various parks from Fredericton,
http://maps.google.ca/maps
Google images, picture of Adirondack building.
http://sites.google.com/site/scoutcampmushamush/camp-facilities
Fredericton Tourism, (2010), Information on out door recreation and parks within the Fredericton area
from site: (www.tourismfredericton.ca/en/outdoorsrecreation)
Scouts Canada (2010), Information from site: (http://www.scouts.ca/dnn/)
Mactaquac Provincial park website (2010), for information on the park:
http://www.mactaquacgolf.com/thepark.html
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Appendix D. Research and development of user interest for Yoho Scout Reserve by C.Smith,
2011
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Forestry 4020
Yoho Management Project
Individual Report – Christopher Smith
Introduction
New Leaf Innovations is dedicated to producing an affordable, innovative and high-quality
management report for the Yoho Scout Reserve. In order to create a comprehensive plan, we felt it
necessary to include additional input to help us better address the management objectives of the Yoho
camp committee. We have consulted with several local scouting groups from around the Fredericton
area, and have plans to have informal interviews with additional scouting groups and local organizations
in the near future (Figure 1). We hope to create a plan based on what the people who use it would like
to see, incorporating their ideas into tangible results on the land base to increase utilization of the camp
and its value towards Scouting.
For the purposes of the individual reports, we broke down the public consultation into two
sections. The first section includes all of the older Scouting groups (ages 14 and older), such as ventures,
rovers and leaders/volunteers. This section also includes the local organizations with members who are
at the university level, such as the UNB Biology Department and the STU Women’s Hockey team. The
second section includes all of the other Scouting groups (ages 14 and younger), such as beavers, cubs
and scouts; it also includes younger local youth organizations such as the Canadian Army Cadets. This
report focuses solely on the first section, with interview data and analysis from the 1 st Rivorton Rover
Crew as its primary basis until additional data can be collected.
By consulting with the various groups and individuals who use the Yoho Scout reserve, we are
acquiring valuable information to aid us in implementing both the primary goals and secondary
objectives of our management plan. Although the direct client is the Yoho Scout Reserve Committee,
they are operating as volunteers to best meet the needs of those who use the camp; mostly for Scouts
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Canada, but for non-Scouting groups as well. We believe that by visiting and interviewing those who use
Figure 1. Satellite image showing the meeting locations in Fredericton, NB for the local Scouting and non-Scouting groups that have already
been interviewed (red dots) and those where future interviews are planned (blue dots).
the camp directly, we can better tailor our management plan to meet their needs, thus providing a
better plan overall than if we only consulted the committee. Consultation will help us with developing a
land-use planning strategy that considers all of the stakeholder’s ideas and values, and will assist with
providing more comprehensive programming and marketing ideas for the camp. Consultation with the
rover crew is especially useful, since many of the rovers have been visiting Yoho for upwards of 18 years.
With such intimate familiarity with the reserve, many of them have viable ideas for possible land use
and infrastructure changes that would help them with implementing their section’s programs and
enhance the utilization of the entire land base.
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Methods
We have currently sampled four Scout groups, each group belonging to a different section of
Scouting. Three of the groups were junior sections (youth younger than 14 years old), while the fourth
group was the 1st Rivorton Rover Crew. The crew consists of individuals aged 18-25, most of who are
current undergraduate, graduate or PhD students studying at UNB or STU. We prepared a number of
basic questions beforehand (Appendix A) that we used both to help stimulate the discussion when we
had few active participants, and to guide the discussion in a way that provided us with meaningful and
relevant feedback within the scope of our management objectives. Although we did have prepared
questions, we wanted the interview to be very open-ended. We allowed the rovers a lot of flexibility in
the discussion, opening the floor to any comments, concerns, ideas or questions they had at any point in
a round table-type discussion format. Since we only had a relatively short period to conduct our
interview (about 15-20 minutes), we wanted them to address the issues they found most pressing and in
need of attention at Yoho. The rovers are considered both youth in the rover program and as leaders in
younger sections of Scouting, and were able to provide us with a unique point of view quite different
from the older leaders and the younger youth.
The information we have gathered from the local groups so far has been insightful and helpful in
determining how we will manage the Yoho Scout Reserve. However, there are limitations in the method
we used to acquire this information and with the information itself, as well as assumptions we will have
to make based on these limitations. One such limitation is the lack of quantitative results. Since we
generally use a different set of base questions depending on which Scouting section we are interviewing,
it is difficult to quantify trends among different sections regarding what they would like to see
implemented. Ideally, we would tally how often a particular concern or idea was raised, and the more
often it was mentioned, the more weight we would give it when deciding management options.
However, we felt it was necessary to have different base questions because of the wide array of age
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groups we were interviewing. The more defined we made a question, the more useful the resulting
discussion seemed to be. However, if we made a question too specific, then many of the younger youth
would get confused. Therefore, we decided that the older the age group we were dealing with, the more
detailed we would make the base questions; as we interviewed younger groups, we made the questions
more vague and generalized. Although this makes it much more complicated to recognize trends
between different age groups and to apply weighted significance to certain ideas, it does allow us to get
more useful data from each individual interview. We are able to conduct more dynamic interviews that
better represent the ideas from all sections instead of creating the same generic questions for every
group.
Another limitation is the objectivity of our surveying method. In order to have as little surveying
bias as possible, we would ideally interview groups from the entire Rivorton Area. Our interviewing is
currently concentrated on groups in the Fredericton area, which is only a small portion of the Scouting
community that uses Yoho. As such, we are only obtaining information from groups in an urban area
who all live in generally the same city of New Brunswick. The Yoho Scout Reserve is primarily used by
scouting groups in the Rivorton Area, which encompasses approximately 1/3 of the province. By
concentrating our interviewing to only a small portion of this area and basing management decisions off
of this information, we are excluding the majority of scouts who use Yoho from the decision-making
process. Although it would be beneficial to survey more groups outside of the city, time restrictions and
transportation issues are a significant problem in reaching out to them. Therefore, we will have to
consider the limitations of our surveying extent when implementing ideas into the design of the
management plan.
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Results
There were five base questions asked during the interview with the rover crew, with additional
discussion branching of off each question (although there was some overlap of certain ideas or concepts
between questions). These particular questions were used because they allowed us to obtain
information on the reasons people originally joined scouting, what it is about Yoho that they like, how
Yoho as a scout camp could be improved, and what should be protected or preserved within the
reserve. The questions asked during the interview are outlined below, along with the summarized
responses from the participants.
Why are you in scouts? What drew you to it?
This question helped us to establish the main reason why people originally joined scouting. It
gave us a sense of what they were looking for and what the driving factors were behind why they joined.
The consensus among the group was that they liked the outdoors and associated recreational activities,
and felt that scouting would offer a chance for them to experience the outdoors more often. The two
activities specifically mentioned by the rovers were camping and outdoor trips. They felt that the
expectations they had coming into scouting had been met, but that more could be done to improve the
experience.
If you had a choice to camp at Yoho or at another area, which would you choose and why?
We narrowed the focus of the discussion to Yoho by asking, if given a choice, whether they
would prefer to camp at Yoho or another camp. Group feedback was favourable towards camping at
Yoho for several reasons. For many of the rovers, they had built up a familiarity with the camp over their
scouting career; some had been going there for upwards of 18 years or longer. As such, they had
acquired many good memories there and had a certain loyalty to the camp in general. They knew all the
trails and buildings, and they had experienced the gradual change of the area with minimal negative
impact on their perception of the camp. Several recommendations were made, including implementing
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change over a significantly long time scale, minimizing any increases in activity near the lake and lodge
areas and maintaining the isolated feel of the reserve by preventing clearcutting close to the road.
Given the option, what activity feature would you like to see implemented at Yoho?
We defined ‘activity feature’ as any structured feature on the land base that could be
used for an activity, such as a new field, a zip line, permanent or semi-permanent high ropes course, etc.
The activity feature most desired was a new, larger activity field, which would be used for wide games
(like capture the flag or soccer) as well as additional camping space during large events (such as a Scout
jamboree). There were also several other activity structures that were proposed, though many concerns
were raised regarding various aspects of each. Adirondacks at the Millar Campsite were suggested
(Figure 2), which would require some site preparation, construction and long-term maintenance.
Another concern would be usage and vandalism by unauthorized individuals and groups for partying and
general use without permission from the Yoho Committee. There was some interest in constructing a zip
line in the NW corner of the Yoho property; however, many of the rovers expressed concerns regarding
the safety and liability issues of such an activity.
Figure 2. Picture of possible adirondack design to be used at the Millar Campsite area.
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Other ideas included constructing a standing, low-level obstacle course or an orienteering
course that would lead to prominent features on the land base. Both would help with promoting
scouting values or skills (teamwork and orienteering with map and compass, respectively), and they
would have inherently less risk involved with their implementation than with a zip line or a high-ropes
course. Additionally, there was some interest in reopening the Fleur-de-lis clearcut in the new part of
the property, although this would be merely for aesthetic purposes.
What would you like to see at Yoho that would facilitate your programming?
This question generated much discussion, a lot of which will be very useful for guiding future
management decisions. This question included anything that would help facilitate the programming
objectives of scouting groups that visited Yoho. There were five main concepts addressed:

Presence of backwoods camping sites (camping sites that would not have motorized vehicle
access).

Creation of maps outlining the trail networks, significant features and location of various
infrastructure throughout the Yoho Scout Reserve (boat house, lodges, playing fields, beaver
pond etc).

Addition of more trails in the new section; constructing more roads in this area is undesired.

Management of stands to promote fewer, bigger trees versus higher density, immature trees.

An adequate mix of cleared areas for tent placement and adirondacks for younger sections (and
for bookings).
Would you like access opened up for the extent of the land base or for the area to be left more natural?
The last question we had time to ask was more specifically aimed at the newer section of the
reserve, as it has not seen any additional development since it was acquired in 2004. The main comment
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regarding land access was that more trails should be created with a limited amount of new road
network in the new section. Existing roads should be repaired and maintained, with a focus on the road
heading partway back into the new section.
Discussion:
It is important that the acquired input from the rovers is thoroughly analysed in order to
develop useful management approaches for the Yoho Scout Reserve. Accordingly, management options
have been considered that would adequately fulfill the requests and concerns provided by the rovers
during the interview.
To improve the overall scouting experience of the camp, additional focus on outdoor activities
and infrastructure is required. By focusing efforts on expanding the trail network, it is possible to utilize
a much larger portion of the land base to provide additional opportunities for groups to go on hikes and
spend more time outdoors. These new trails could link up with backwoods camping areas, enabling a
more rugged, outdoor atmosphere for the youth than if they were able to just drive to the location.
Although new trails can be relatively expensive to implement, there are several ways in which
the costs can be mitigated. Additionally, new trails can be integrated into the existing trail network to
optimize its effectiveness in several different ways (Hull, 2008):

Creating interconnected trail networks rather than a number of individual trails, both to
increase the scenic diversity of the trail and to reduce soil compaction from excessive
use (Figure 3).

Developing the trails so that there are loops within loops, allowing groups to adjust the
length of the hike for the age of the youth or time restraints.
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
January 2011
When implementing timber harvesting plans, lay out skid trails along newly proposed
trails to combine the function of both. Once the timber operation is complete the skid
trails can be repurposed as hiking trails, which can drastically reduce the costs of initial
trail construction.
Figure 3. Trail map of Mount Carleton Provincial Park showing examples of possible trail layouts utilizing interconnected trail systems and
trail looping.
Design specifications for trails should minimize erosion, require minimal maintenance, and
should not be prone to flooding or rutting. This depends heavily on the type of soil, slope percent, the
contours of the land and the presence of water. Some general guidelines to follow when constructing
new trails are (Hull, 2008):

Silt and clay soils easily erode because they are muddy when wet and dusty when dry.

Sandy soils are unstable and support minimal vegetative growth.

Organic soils are fragile, but help to increase the stability of the soil when present in
moderate amounts.
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
January 2011
Moderate amounts of sand, clay and loam and ideal for hiking and camping activities, as
they provide the most durable and least maintenance-intensive surface.

Trail width should be between 2-4 feet, with roughly 1 foot of cleared vegetation on
either side.

Trails should be located on slopes of predominately 1-6%, with a maximum slope of 1015% permitted for short distances; 0% slope should be avoided due to the likelihood of
rutting and erosion from standing water and lack of drainage.

Stream crossings should be avoided where possible, but when they do occur, the trail
should cross perpendicular to the direction of the stream channel.
It is also important to consider backwoods camping, which was frequently mentioned during the
interview. This could be accomplished using tent pads, adirondacks, or designated, semi-cleared
openings, and would ideally be integrated into the new trail design. Certain considerations would need
to be addressed when choosing a location for such an area, such as proximity to a water source, a
permanent or semi-permanent latrine or outhouse sufficiently removed from any nearby water sources,
a fire pit (tire rim, steel barrel, etc) and sited far enough away from any secondary roads so as to avoid
unauthorized usage.
Cleared, open spaces would be the cheapest option for backwoods camping, as it would require
minimal initial construction (clearing) and almost no maintenance. Tent pads would be the next
cheapest alternative, involving more initial site preparation but still minimal long-term maintenance.
Adirondacks would be the most expensive option, with high initial site preparation and construction as
well as a long-term maintenance schedule. Bookings could be used to help offset the costs of the more
intensive backwoods camping options, although a detailed cost-benefit analysis would need to be
conducted for each option to determine which would be the most financially feasible option to pursue.
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Besides additional infrastructure, there are other ways to improve the Yoho Scout Reserve. One
of the qualities of Yoho that was deemed very desirable was the isolated feeling it provided. As such,
this was considered a characteristic that should be maintained and managed for. Using GIS software and
spatial analyst tools, it is possible to construct a viewshed across the entire land base. This would show
the visibility of any portion of the reserve from designated points, such as trails, campsites or activity
fields. Any construction or harvesting that occurs will be done outside of these visible areas so as to not
disrupt the aesthetic visual feeling of isolation within the reserve. Along with this, an appropriately-sized
vegetative buffer will need to be set aside to act as an auditory mitigation measure between the main
highway and the reserve.
Although the secluded feeling of Yoho is considered a very important feature, so too is the
functioning of the reserve as wildlife habitat; the ecological functioning of the forest must be taken into
account when designing the aesthetic buffers. If the visual and auditory buffers promote fragmentation
of the landscape, wildlife patches and corridors may need to be considered, as maintaining the
ecological integrity of the reserve is significant as a principle scouting value. Additionally, any harvesting
that occurs on the reserve should be done to promote ecological functioning and be visually acceptable.
Wide-scale clearcutting was seen as unacceptable by many of the rovers, and as such, alternative
harvesting methods should be considered. This can be done by changing the treatment type
(shelterwood, partial cut, selection cutting) or by changing the spatial or temporal arrangement of the
harvest (allowing for a minimum green-up delay, harvesting smaller areas, feathering harvest block
edges, retaining islands within cut blocks, dispersal or removal of slash, irregularly-shaped cut blocks)
[Jaakko Pöyry Consulting, Inc, 2003].
One practise that would be useful would be to provide information to scouting groups on the
types of harvesting operations that had taken place and the process by which it will regrow. Trails could
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skirt a corner of a cut block and informational signs
could be posted explaining what was done, why it was
done as it was, how the stand will regenerate, and
what it could look like in the future (Hull, 2006)(Figure
4). This would both help mitigate the negative
perceptions of harvesting on the reserve as well as
Figure 4. Example of the type of informational sign layout that
could be used along trails that skirt harvest operations at
Yoho.
provide a valuable learning opportunity for scout
groups to understand more about forestry. Rather than
just seeing what appears to be the destruction of the forest, they could read about the benefits to many
wildlife species such a practise has, the natural processes that cause similar events within the forest, and
how it will eventually return it to a fully-forested stand over time.
Conclusion:
Additional consulting is required in order to build a better framework upon which management
initiatives can be based. Through the interviews we have conducted so far, we have been able to expand
both on the Yoho Group Committee’s requirements as well as our own ideas on how to best manage the
reserve. Keeping in mind the limitations and assumptions of our interviewing process, we can continue
to refine our management plan using the data we obtain. Our goal is to produce the best outcome for all
of the stakeholders, youth and adults alike, and by continuing public consultation we can achieve a wellbalanced final product.
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Appendix A
Interview Baseline Questions for the 1st Rivorton Rover Crew
#1.
Why are you in scouts? What drew you to it?
#2.
If you had a choice to camp at Yoho or at another area, which would you chose and why?
#3.
Given the option, what activity feature would you prefer to see?
#4.
What would you like to see at Yoho that would facilitate your programming?
#5.
Would you like access opened up for the extent of the land base? Or for the area to be left more
natural?
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Appendix B
References:
Hull, B., Ashton, S.F., Visser, R.M. and Monroe, M.C. (2008) Forest Management in the Interface:
Amenity Resources. School of Forest Resources and Conservation, Florida Cooperative Extension
Services, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fr233
Accessed December 13, 2010.
Hull, B., Ashton, S.F., Visser, R.M. and Monroe, M.C. (2006) Forest Management in the Interface:
Practicing Visible Stewardship. School of Forest Resources and Conservation, Florida Cooperative
Extension Services, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fr237 Accessed December 13, 2010.
Jaakko Pöyry Consulting, Inc. (1993) Recreation and Aesthetic Resources: A Technical Paper for a
Generic Environmental Impact Statement on Timber Harvesting and Forest Management in Minnesota.
http://iic.gis.umn.edu/download/geis/rec/rec.pdf Accessed December 04, 2010.
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Appendix E. Natural areas and hazardous areas report for Yoho Scout Reserve by, B. Gauthier,
2011
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SUMMARY AND INTRODUCTION
Hundreds of youth utilize the Yoho Scout Reserve each year for various activities
and events. Scouting is meant to be a fun, educational and safe experience for all
participants. To ensure that those goals are met it is important to have a sound hazard
management program. We wish to minimize the occurrence of any physical threats that
the landbase contains. There are various potential hazards or threats on any given
landbase and the Yoho Scout Reserve is no exception. The main areas of concern with
regards to safety and hazard management on the Yoho Scout Reserve include bogs,
cliffs, snags and water. We realize that it is impossible to eliminate all hazards but
being aware of them and having a well thought out and researched protocol when
dealing with them will greatly reduce the occurrence and severity of any incident. Our
main goal in hazard management is to reduce hazard [the potential to cause harm] and
risk [the likelihood of harm occurring] in the Yoho Scout Reserve.
OBJECTIVE TIE-INS
The goals for the management of the Yoho Scout Reserve include having an
effective and innovative business and landuse plan. Objectives for the business plan
include elements such as potential for revenue, marketing strategies and programming
which are broken down further and more specifically in the plan outline. The objectives
for the landuse planning include elements such as recreation, natural areas, operation
areas and infrastructure development which as also further broken down and
specialized in the management plan.
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Accidents and injuries that occur because of hazards can directly or indirectly
affect many of the goals and objectives of the management of the Yoho Scout Reserve.
If there are too many incidents occurring it will become much more difficult to advertise
a fun and safe environment which will inhibit the implementation of attractions, affecting
the programming portion of the business plan. It may also affect many portions of the
landuse planning such as where trails and activity fields may be placed as we certainly
do not want any trails or high traffic areas near areas of hazard without proper safety
measure in place such as railing on trails near water.
CLIFF HAZARD
There is only one area of concern with regards to the cliff hazard in the Yoho
Scout Reserve. This is located near the Hanwell Road located in stand 47 [Figure 1].
The cliffs are located along a 20 meter stretch and are approximately 3 meters in height.
This is significant enough that a fall from this height may greatly injure or even cause
death to an individual.
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Figure 1. The Yoho Woodlot cruise map.
Using the control preference method [Smith and Petley, 2008] we have a
number of options to deal with this hazard [Appendix 1]. Eliminating the hazard is
always the most effective control method to reduce the chance of an incident however
there are some serious cons to this option. Removing these cliffs by using heavy
machinery to fill them in with soil would cause a great disturbance to the land, would be
very costly and would take away from this unique area as it is the only one of its kind in
the woodlot. Another option is isolation from this area. Ensure that all Scout Leaders
are aware of this potentially hazardous area and they should keep Scouts away from
this area during activities. This is very cost effective and greatly reduces the chance of
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an incident however this means that the Scouts do not get to see this unique area.
Another alternative is the ‘administrative’ alternative. This includes having a special
protocol when venturing in this area. This means that any scouts utilizing this area must
be informed of the potential hazard to raise awareness of its existence. An engineering
control could be used such as constructing a highly visible fence around the cliff area.
Since the cliff area is not that large this is a feasible idea and it could even be turned
into a scouting activity or possible badge activity where the scouts could be rewarded
for safety awareness. Recommendations for this hazard include a combination of the
last two alternatives, informing all woodlot users of the hazard and constructing a fence
with the scouts.
SNAG HAZARD
Snags are found throughout every forest and are an important part of nature as
they provide habitat for hundreds of organisms [Neitro et al 2010]. We do not intend to
manage for each and every snag in the woodlot as this is totally unrealistic and
infeasible. We do however wish to implement safety plans in high traffic areas that are
coupled with high levels of snag abundance.
There are many different factors that influence the degree of risk associated with
snag hazards [Table 1].
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Snag Safety - Environmental conditions that increase snag hazards:
· Strong winds
· Night operations
· Steep slopes
· Diseased or bug-kill areas
Hazard tree indicators:
Trees have been · High risk tree species (rot and shallow root system)
burning for an
extended period
· Numerous
down trees
· Dead or broken tops and limbs overhead
· Accumulation
of down limbs
· Absence of needles, bark or limbs
Leaning or
hung-up trees
Table 1. The environmental conditions that affect snag hazard and hazard tree
indicators, created by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group.
We recommend that high traffic areas, such as areas near trails, camping areas,
outdoor prayer areas, lodging areas, etc. be analyzed for snags and danger trees.
Once this is done removal of such trees should take place in these areas in order to
minimize the likely hood of a fatality or injury occurring from a fallen tree in a high traffic
area. The main area of concern with regards to snag abundance in a high traffic area is
in stand 2 where there are numerous snags and dead falls in and around the camping
areas. This area should be prioritized when dealing with hazard management as a high
wind event could send many of these dead standing trees to the ground throughout the
campsite causing potential harm.
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WATER HAZARD
There are various precautionary methods when dealing with child safety around
water. Having children trained in swimming lessons is always a good idea however the
most effective means of preventing children from drowning are adult supervision and
having barriers around water [Asher et al 1995]. There are two main water areas in the
Scout Reserve. These include stands 1, 9, 14 and 23 as well as the main lodge area
along the Yoho Lake front and stands 15, 22 and 41 which all border on the beaver
pond in the middle of the more recent ownership section.
The main hazard in all these areas is water, with the risk of falling which could
lead to drowning. The stands around the lake play host to a number of walking trails.
The lake/water is fully visible from the trails and their upkeep ensures that risk of falling
into water is minimal. There is only one section, along the west trail where the proximity
of water is close enough that a fall into water is a potential. This is an area near a
beaver pond where the trail comes to an end. To allow Scouts to see the beaver area
without risk of falling into water a simple re-routing of trail a few meters back from the
water edge or the construction of a boardwalk platform with high railings is
recommended.
The other area of water is located in the newly acquired section of the
woodlot. This area is another great educational area to show young Scouts the effects
of beavers on the land and how a beaver lives in nature. Therefore, we do not want to
eliminate the beavers from this area. Instead we recommend only that scouting
activities be held away from the edges of this area and that all Scouts are taught safety
rules when playing near water, such as no horse play near a water’s edge.
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CONCLUSION
Three main land hazards were dealt with in this approach. Various alternatives
were given and an attempt was made to recommend the safest and the most cost
effective alternatives possible. Where appropriate, Scouts were included in the process
of managing these land hazards because what better way to raise the safety awareness
of the Scouts than to include them in the project [Table 2].
Hazard
Risk of
Location
Cliff
Falling
Stand 47
Snag
Being struck
Stand 2
Water
Drowning
Stands 1, 9, 14, 15, 22,
23, 41 edges only
Recommended Measures
Verbal awareness to all Scout
Leaders/Fence Built by Scouts under
close supervision/large group
activities held elsewhere
Removal of snags by qualified
person in high traffic areas/activities
held elsewhere when snag removal
not feasible
Awareness Signs/adult supervision
when scouts in those areas/trail
maintenance and improvement
Table 2. Summary of hazard management recommendations.
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REFERENCES
Asher, K., Rivara, F., Felix D. and Dunne, R. 1995. Water safety training as a potential
means of reducing risk of young children’s drowning. Harborview Injury Prevention and
Research Center, Seattle, Wa.
Incident Response Pocket Guide. National Wildfire Coordinating Group.
>http://www.nwcg.gov/pms/pubs/pubs.htm<
Neitro, W., Mannan, R., Taylor, D., Binkley, V., Marcot, B., Wagner, F. and Cline, S.
2010. Snags (Wildlife Trees). Animal Inn: Habitat Management/Technical Notes and
Papers. > http://envirothon.org/pdf/2010/Snags.pdf<
Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology. 2010.
>http://www.agius.com/hew/resource/hazard.htm<
Smith, K. and Petley, D.N. 2008. Environmental Hazards, Assessing Risk and reducing
Disaster.
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APPENDICES
Appendix 1. The preference control method for dealing with hazards [Smith and Petley
2008].
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Preference
January 2011
Control
Example
1.
Eliminate
Removing the hazard, eg taking a hazardous piece of equipment
out of service.
2.
Substitute
Replacing a hazardous substance or process with a less
hazardous one, eg substituting a hazardous substance with a nonhazardous substance.
3.
Isolation
4.
Engineering
Restricting access to plant and equipment or in the case of
substances locking them away under strict controls.
Redesign a process or piece of equipment to make it less
hazardous. Isolating the hazard from the person at risk, eg using a
guard or barrier.
5.
Administrative
Adopting standard operating procedures (SOPs) or safe work
practices or providing appropriate training, instruction or
information.
6.
Personal
Protective
Equipment
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The provision and use of personal protective equipment could
include using gloves, glasses, earmuffs, aprons, safety footwear,
dust masks.
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Appendix F. Infrastructure development for Yoho Scout Reserve, by E. Crawford, 2011
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 1
ROADS AND TRAILS ................................................................................................... 2
Proposed Loop Road ............................................................................................... 3
Trails ........................................................................................................................ 4
SPIRITUAL AREA ......................................................................................................... 7
CAMPSITE MAINTENANCE ......................................................................................... 7
Front-Country Campsites ........................................................................................ 8
Backcountry Campsites........................................................................................... 9
HIGH USE AREAS AND PROPOSED AREAS ............................................................. 10
Proposed Areas........................................................................................................ 10
CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................. 12
REFERENCES .............................................................................................................. 13
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INTRODUCTION
A part of the Scouting Mission is achieved through the education of youth; this is
accomplished through specifically designed outdoor activities. As such the Yoho Scout
Reserve has several areas, facilities, and activities which revolve around being outdoors
and interacting with the natural environment. Road and trail networks are an integral
part of the scout reserve, enabling activities such as backcountry camping and allowing
access to various secluded areas within the reserve. Large groups are present on the
reserve at various times of year, large open meeting areas and parking lots have been
established to accommodate. Many campsites are present within the reserve, ranging
from cabins to backcountry sites. Large open areas, roads and trails, and campsites all
contribute to the education of youth while at the Yoho Scout Reserve.
More large open areas and parking lots need to be established to accommodate
large groups of people. Roads and trails need to be created, this will allow for more
interpretive areas and campsites to exist within the reserve. More campsites are
required within the reserve to accommodate more people and to utilize a newly acquired
piece of property adjacent to the original property. Current areas, trails, and facilities
need to be maintained as will newly established features, therefore maintenance plans
will be implemented to ensure these features persist for as long as possible.
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ROADS AND TRAILS
Roads and trails are present throughout the reserve, with roads being used
primarily by vehicles and trails being used for education and camping. The roads
provide access to facilities such as the Scout Lodge, Jensen lodge, the lake waterfront,
and the Miller campground. Currently four trails exist within reserve; these include the
Loon Watch trails, Maple Ridge trail, Yoho Forest trail, and the Michael Meade trail
[Figure 1][Richards et al, 2010].
Figure 1. Roads and trails within Yoho Scout Reserve, Yoho Lake, New Brunswick,
Canada [Richards et al, 2010].
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Proposed Loop Road
The current road to the Miller campground also provides access to a newly
acquired portion of the reserve. This access route has been designated to be exempt
from human interference in the hope the road will degrade enough so not to allow
access by the public to the rest of the reserve. For this reason another road is required
to allow access to the new portion of land and the rest of the Miller campground. The
managers of the Scout Reserve have expressed interest in building a road that would
encompass a portion of the Miller campground. This road would ease vehicle traffic by
only allowing for one-way travel and create access to the new section or “backcountry”
area of the reserve. Before the construction of this road, several considerations must
be made in regards to location and maintenance of the road.
Choosing the location of the road will be based on the requirements of the
managers of the reserve. However, the location of the road will be subject to
characteristics of the landscape such as topography and wet sites.
The first step in the road construction will be to determine the depth of water
beneath the grounds surface. This will allow for “wet sites” to be avoided, thus
decreasing the risk of harming the environment and eliminating potential problems
associated with road construction and maintenance. Once this has been completed
and wet areas identified, in field observations will be conducted. New Leaf Innovations
will be responsible to make these observations and suitable locations for the road will
be assigned. The proposed road will then be laid out using flagging tape and a width
will be determined based on whether the road will have one-way or two way vehicle
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traffic. Vegetation will be promoted along the shoulder of the road and speed bumps will
be placed in various locations, these steps will aid in keeping traffic speed to a
minimum. Also, trails or other roads intersecting the road will be clearly marked so that
traffic accidents do not occur [Hesselbrath et al, 2007].
Depending on when the road will be constructed, revenue may be generated.
Merchantable trees maybe removed as the roadway is cleared of vegetation, in turn any
merchantable volume harvested could be sold. Once the trees and stumps have been
removed from the roadway, the road will have to be graded and then will be suitable for
use. After these steps have been completed a maintenance schedule will be assigned
to ensure the quality of the road does not diminish over time.
To properly maintain the road a maintenance schedule will be created. This
schedule will be conducted periodically throughout the year or during times when the
road stability may be comprised such as during spring floods. Specific tools and
equipment will also be part of this maintenance schedule. The proposed loop road will
not be the only road subject to the schedule, roads within the reserve that are not cared
for by the Department of Transportation will also be considered.
Trails
Four trails are currently in use within the reserve, three are used readily while
one is not. These trails not only provide access to backcountry camping sites or
shortcuts through the reserve, they also have an educational value. Trails provide
access to areas where unique natural processes are taking place, such as beaver
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[Castor canadensis] activity or through transitions between forest stand types. Based
on observations made during the timber cruising of the reserve by New Leaf
Innovations, trail maintenance and the establishment of new trails through various
unique areas will be recommended [Richards et al, 2010].
Maintenance of the Loon Watch South, Maple Ridge, and Matt Meade trails will
only require minimal maintenance. Removing overhanging tree limbs, fallen trees, and
snags along the trails edge will be main focus. These actions will result in safer routes
for scouts to travel. These trails should be travelled monthly to ensure problem
branches and trees are removed promptly. The Loon Watch West trail as of now is
partially obstructed due to flooding caused by beavers. This issue was discussed with
the managers of the Scout reserve and it was concluded to let nature progress
naturally. Therefore the trail will no longer be used to travel along the lake; it will be
used as an interpretation trail so scouts can observe natural processes associated with
beaver activity. The Yoho Forest trail will require thinning and removal of vegetation;
this will allow the scouts to use the trail, currently the trail is not used for any activities.
Activities such as back country camping are a possibility along this trail, this is due to
the location of the trail, which is remote in regards to the rest of the reserve. Also the
managers of the reserve have expressed interest in establishing these sites.
Markers can also be placed along the length of all the trails within the reserve.
These markers can consist of flagging tape, however, a more reasonable and lasting
approach would be the marking of trees. Large trees along each trail can be marked by
paint or signs; this will allow users of the trails to know what trail they are travelling on.
Educational areas can be established on the trails at various points of interest; these
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areas will include interpretive signs that explain a unique natural feature found on the
trail [Hesselbarth et al, 2007].
If new trails are to be constructed within the reserve the same steps may be
taken as in the construction of a road. Attention to detail in regards to wet areas may
not have to be as extensive as compared to road construction. However, trail
construction through areas such as swamps may pose a challenge to builders,
platforms or boardwalks may be constructed to deal with these issues. New trails will
be constructed in the newly obtained portion of the reserve. These trails will provide
access to the new portion and camping sites will also be established along the trails.
The present trail network requires thinning and clearing of vegetation. Other than
controlling vegetation, installing interpretation signs, and marking the trails,
maintenance is quite simple. The point of these trails is to allow scouts to experience
the natural environment; therefore, human activity can be limited to an extent along
these trails.
As requested by the managers of the reserve a set of standards must be created
for the maintenance and construction of trails. The maintenance of the trails will consist
of periodic observations to determine what actions will be taken against vegetation.
Before construction of new trails the area will be observed, wet areas will be delineated
and camping sites and points of interest will be determined.
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SPIRITUAL AREA
A cleared area located behind the main lodge is known as the chapel or spiritual
area. Rows of bench seats have been placed to face the same direction, towards a
raised platform. This area is mainly used to conduct ceremonies and group projects.
Currently the site has fallen into disrepair in regards to the wooden structures on
the site. To resolve this issue, pressure treated lumber should be used to rebuild the
structures. Pressure treated lumber creates an environment within the wood that is not
suitable for fungi or wood destroying insects to live. Therefore this lumber will be able
to withstand the outdoor environment for an extended period of time with little to no
maintenance [Wood Preservation Canada, 2010].
A maintenance schedule consisting of monitoring the site will be created to
ensure the optimal life of the wooden structures is achieved and to control vegetation.
Observations will be made periodically, especially in the spring of the year, to monitor
the condition of the wooden structures. Also trees posing a threat of falling or
overhanging limbs will be removed immediately so that safety will not be compromised.
The grass will be mowed and raked every week during the growing season; this will give
the site a well kept appearance.
CAMPGROUND MAINTENANCE
Camping is an integral part of Scout education; as such many campsites exist on
the reserve. Currently only front-country campsites exist on the reserve, these sites are
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in close proximity to each other and are easily accessible by vehicles. The managers
have expressed a need for backcountry campsites and maintenance of both frontcountry and back country campsites.
Front-Country Campsites
These sites are located in proximity to the Miller campground and along the
Maple Ridge trail. Three more front-country family camping sites are located in and
around the main lodge and Jensen lodge. The managers of the reserve require more
campsites to be constructed; this will allow for more people to use the reserve at one
time, a maintenance schedule will also be created.
The family camping sites have already been cleared of vegetation; however,
once this was complete the sites were not used. Presently these sites need to be
cleared of vegetation as they are overgrown. Once this is complete the sites will be
ready for use by younger scout members and their families. Also a need for more
camping sites has been presented by the managers as unorganized camping occurs in
and around the Jensen Lodge. Areas along the Jensen road will be chosen for the
construction of new campsites. These areas will be chosen based on the topography
and surface water in the area, relatively flat, dry sites will be chosen, and then trees and
stumps will be removed. Trees with poor vigor and health will also be removed from the
existing and future campsites; this will create a safer environment for campsite users
[BC Parks, 2010].
To ensure that the sites to not fall into disrepair, a maintenance schedule will be
created. This will consist of monitoring each front-country campsite periodically and the
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sites will also be inspected before use. By inspecting the sites before use potential
hazards will be indentified and possible vandalism or destruction by the previous user
will be identified. During the periodic checks of the sites, trees posing a risk to campers
will be indentified and removed. Encroaching vegetation such as shrubs and
herbaceous plants will be controlled by thinning and removing. This task will have to be
implemented throughout the spring and summer of the year or whenever it is seen
necessary.
If a fire pit or circle is present on the sites it will also be inspected after each use
to ensure the fire has been properly extinguished. Also during fire season and times of
high forest fire hazard campsites will be monitored and if necessary a ban on fires will
be implemented.
Backcountry Campsites
Backcountry campsites create a challenge for the user in regards to accessing
the site and using it. These sites are intended to be remote with only the most basic of
necessities, currently no such sites exist on the Scout reserve.
The remote portion of the reserve is located north-east of the main lodge on the
east side of the Yoho Lake road. This portion is the newly acquired area of the reserve;
as such a trail network will have to be established so that access via hiking to these
sites will be possible. As with the front-country campsites, location of each backcountry
campsite will be predetermined before construction. Preferably these sites will have flat
topography, be well drained, and be within reasonable distance from a clean water
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source [BC Parks, 1993]. There are several potential areas within the new portion of
land; these areas include an already existing road in close proximity to a stream.
Depending on the demand for these sites, more will be constructed if necessary.
Maintenance schedules will be created to keep these sites in proper order.
Trees deemed to be hazardous to users will be removed as quickly as possible to
ensure safety of users. These sites will be checked or monitored once a week for
potential dangers. Vegetation including trees, shrubs, and herbaceous vegetation will
be controlled when necessary at these sites. Other then maintaining a clearing in the
forest, little maintenance is required as the point of these sites is to basically allow the
user to experience the natural environment. Campfires will be allowed on these sites as
long as the forest fire index permits, however, these sites will have to be checked after a
user has left to ensure the fire has been properly extinguished.
HIGH USE AREAS AND PROPOSED AREAS
There are several areas within the reserve that are used extensively for a variety
of purposes. The reason for this is the lack of large open areas, what areas do exist
currently act as playgrounds, group meeting areas, parking lots, or when a large open
area is required for an activity.
Proposed Areas
A need for a large open area near the Miller Campground has been presented by
the managers of the reserve. This area will host group activities and vehicle parking
when necessary. The proposed area is currently occupied by 10 to 15 year old
mixwood forest; the tree species include white birch [Betula papyrifera], red maple [Acer
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rubrum], trembling aspen [Populus tremuloides], balsam fir [Abies balsamea], and white
spruce [Picea glauca]. Removing these trees as of now could be accomplished by
employing a spacing saw crew, as the trees are small in size and could be easily
removed from the site. Once this was complete the site would have to be graded using
machinery such as a bulldozer, this would create a level surface and would remove the
remaining stumps.
After the site has been cleared of vegetation and the area has been leveled,
grass will begin to grow. To control vegetation a lawnmower or bush-hog on a tractor
can be used. These machines will keep vegetation from becoming established on the
site; this is the most economical option as compared to paving or applying gravel to the
site. Controlling vegetation on the site will be the only maintenance required, other then
repairing ruts caused by vehicle traffic. During the winter, if these sites are required for
activities a snow removal tool will have to be used to clear the site. This can be
accomplished by using a tractor.
Currently open area around the main lodge is in short supply; open areas are
required to deal with the large amounts of vehicles that periodically occupy the site.
Areas have been designated already by the managers along the road leading to the
main lodge. Before these sites are cleared of trees, the area will be examined by New
Leaf Innovations to ensure no unique natural features will be removed or damaged.
Once this is complete construction of the parking areas will be implemented along the
road.
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There are several potential sites in the reserve that can be converted to large
open areas. As the demand for these sites becomes evident, more sites will be
designated. The optimal areas to convert to large open areas have young trees
growing and relatively flat topography; these areas will be delineated by New Leaf
Innovations so when demand arises potential sites will be identified. However, areas
that have been selected for timber harvesting will also make excellent sites, not only will
revenue be generated from the harvest, the site will be cleared of trees.
The open sites will not only be able to host large groups of people. Different
activities such as sports and or workshops with various sites within the area can take
place once an area is cleared.
CONCLUSION
Educating youth is a fundamental part of the Scout’s mission. To accomplish this
mission the Yoho Scout Reserve has several areas, facilities, trails, and activities.
These features of the reserve require maintenance and sometimes it is necessary to
create new features. By creating more of these features within the reserve, more
activities can take place in which the scouts can be involved in, thus creating an
educational experience.
New Leaf Innovations through consultation with managers of the reserve and
observing the reserve first hand have complied results to improve the experience of the
reserve. Through the construction of road and trail networks, spiritual areas, campsites,
and large open areas, it is perceived that the reserve will offer more to its visitors. To
ensure these features provide optimal experiences and last through time, maintenance
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schedules will be created. These results have yet to be implemented, though through
further consultation and field work on the reserve these features will become a reality.
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REFERENCES
Hesselbarth, Woody; Vachowski, Brian; Davies, Mary Ann. 2007. Trail Construction
and Maintenance Notebook: 2007 Edition. 0723 2806. Missoula, MT: U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Missoula Technology and
Development Center. 178 p.
BC Parks. 1993. Park Design Guidelines & Data. British Columbia, Canada. Province
of British Columbia, Minitry of Environment Lands and Parks, A Natural
Landscape Architecture for British Columbia’s Provincial Parks.
Richards, William; Barr, Keith; Chase, Sandy; Cooper, Daryl; Mundee, Dean; Prosser,
Doug. 2010. Yoho Scout Reserve Strategic Plan 2020. Yoho Lake, New
Brunswick, Canada. Riverton Area Scouts Canada.
Wood Preservation Canada. Frequently Asked Questions: How do wood preservatives
work. 2010, Website:
<http://www.woodpreservation.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id
=10&Itemid=53#howdoWPwork>
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Appendix G. Example of brochure to emulate for Yoho Scout Reserve management plan.
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