Remediation of Top Dogtown Trail and Parking Area

Top Dogtown Trail is a 750 m long trail constructed in 2010 that starts from a parking area along the main thoroughfare (Ecotour Road) in the West Block of Grasslands National Park and travels to a viewpoint on an escarpment edge overlooking the Frenchman River Valley. A 300 m section of this trail travels through a prairie dog colony. Proposed work is to rebuild the raised-tread profile of the trail and to re-design the parking area. Work on the trail will include adding aggregate, filling holes, and contouring to restore positive drainage, reduce erosion, and to improve the stability of the tread surface. This work will improve the accessibility of the trail. Proposed work to re-design the parking area includes changing the layout to accommodate 5-8 vehicles, installing wooden bollards, and placing road gravel. The new layout will improve accessibility, and provide clearer delineation between pedestrian areas and vehicle areas. It is also expected to help deter non-compliance (e.g. driving past parking areas onto the prairie, parking on the side of the road away from designated parking areas), and reduce the frequency and severity of bison damage to the bollards. Some work will occur in prairie dog critical habitat and may result in the damage, destruction, or modification of 8-15 prairie dog burrows. Prairie dogs are listed as Threatened on Schedule 1 of the Species at Risk Act. This project will be assessed using a Basic Impact Assessment.

Disclaimer

This map is for illustrative purposes. The markers represent the approximate locations based on available data. More than one marker may be identified for a given assessment.

 

Latest update

October 10, 2023 - The assessment decision statement has been issued to the proponent.

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Contacts

Grasslands National Park
P.O. Box 150
Val Marie, Saskatchewan S0N 2T0
Telephone: 306-298-2257 or 1-888-773-8888
Email: infopnprairies-grasslandsnpinfo@pc.gc.ca


  • Location

    • Grasslands National Park of Canada (Saskatchewan)

  • Nature of Activity

    • Recreation and Tourism
    • Maintenance activities (fences, walls)

  • Assessment Status

    Completed

  • Start Date

    2023-08-21

  • Proponent

    Parks Canada

  • Authorities

    • Parks Canada Agency

  • Assessment Type

    Project on federal lands

  • Reference Number

    85853

Nearby assessments

...within 200 kilometres
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