A diversity of community and site use groups provided their feedback on the Plans. Participants included representatives from:

• Cultural, historical, and archeological organizations
• Environmental organizations and advocacy groups
• Land developers
• Local communities and adjacent landowners
• The City’s Natural Areas Working Group
• User groups, including cycling, walking and other recreational groups.

Through meetings, information sessions and workshops we asked participants:

• What features, ecosystems and/or species are important for us to protect and how can the City support their protection?
• How does the community use the sites and how can these uses be supported (e.g., improving trails, creating gathering areas, etc.)?
• How can we best balance conservation and public use at the sites?

To learn more about what we heard please see the Engagement Report. 

The feedback we received from participants, along with best practices in conservation and internal considerations, informed the development of the Plans. The Plans developed for each of the pilot sites include:

• The Natural Area Management Plan defines the vision, management objectives, desired level of service and operating/maintenance needs for the sites. 
• The Conceptual Master Plan proposes the built elements, drainage, planting and an establishment plan for each site, including options for phased implementation. 

Comments and questions can also be provided by email, telephone, or mail using the contact information below:

To learn more about what we heard throughout the engagement process please see our Engagement Report. Some of the main themes we heard include:

• Many participants view RSBBAA as a place for both active recreation and enjoying nature, which is celebrated by user groups and the community.
• The site serves Saskatoon’s southwest-side community as an important destination site, since not many natural areas exist in this area.
• RSBBAA encompasses habitats for many important species and provides many ecosystem services (ex. stormwater management, carbon sequestration, etc.)
• Important conservation and human well-being targets for the site include forests, wetlands and recreation.

The site enhancements are intended to maintain the natural feel of RSBBAA and support public access, while also helping to minimize the impacts to the trees, sensitive species and site. For example, the trail upgrade is occurring in an area where few trees will be impacted. Surveys for sensitive species will be completed prior to construction to ensure these species are not impacted.

The site enhancements being installed in at RSBBAA in 2024 can be found in the image and table below.

The installation of these site enhancements will occur from approximately May to November 2024. During this period, please note that:

• The trail being improved will be closed during this time. Alternate routes (shown on the image above) will be available for residents to use during construction.  
• Parking will remain available at the southwest off-leash recreation area parking lot and southeast parking lots. 
• We kindly ask residents to refrain from using the parking lot at the northeast entrance of RSBBAA, since this lot is owned by TransGas and must remain available for their infrastructure service vehicles. 
• Throughout 2024 part of the east side of RSBBAA will be an active construction zone. For the safety of you and your pets, please keep your dogs on-leash when outside the designated Southwest Off-Leash Recreation Area. 

To learn more about what we heard throughout the engagement process please see our Engagement Report. Some of the main themes we heard include:

• The Small Swale is an important natural area that has a diversity of species and features that are unique to Saskatoon.
• The site consists primarily of both wetland and grassland habitats, but it also contains micro-habitats that support important species at risk; therefore, human uses should be low-impact.
• The site faces extreme pressures, including current and future development, and therefore needs further protection.
• Important conservation targets for the site include grasslands, wetlands, and human health.