The Whitehorse Cross Country Ski Club will now accept its newly-implemented dog fees on a voluntary basis this season.

The 1,300-member club had previously announced new mandatory fees to dog users for the upcoming season, resulting in backlash from its canine-owning membership.

The club’s board has now backtracked slightly, announcing the fee will be accepted on a voluntary basis this season.

The announcement was posted on the ski club’s website today.

“After consultation with concerned members, we have decided that for this season the dog fee will be accepted on a voluntary basis,” the statement reads. “We would ask anyone who routinely uses the dog trail to consider making a $20 payment for this season.”

The board maintains its decision to implement the new fee was made to address fiscal issues and ensure safety improvements on the primary dog trails could go ahead.

“We now recognize that there is a reasonable basis for dog skiers to feel that this fee is unfair,” the board statement adds. “It is not the desire of the board to create division in the club membership.”

The original fee of $20 for one dog, or $25 for two, was announced earlier this month. Day passes for canine companions were implemented at $2 per dog.

However, those fees were deemed voluntary after concerned members met with the board last night.

Cord Hamilton led the charge against the newly-imposed fees.

“I am happy to report that the club has reconsidered its proposed dog fee,” he said in an email to the Star this morning.

Hamilton originally raised issues with the new fee, saying dog owners already pay for far more than the limited access and trail use currently permitted by the club.

“To charge more to dog skiers who use proportionally less of the club’s services is inherently unfair,” he said, adding that singling out one user group ultimately leads to conflict.

Hamilton added he was happy with the leadership shown by the ski club’s board on the matter.

Board secretary Craig Thur confirmed the meeting occurred yesterday, adding he is hopeful the new resolution will help the board meet its budget goals for the upcoming season without causing continued division.

In an interview yesterday, board director Claude Chabot said changes are often hard to make with such a large membership group.

“We’ve agreed to work together and come up with some reasonable solution,” he said. “When you’ve got 1,300 members, you’re going to have different opinions on how to deal with certain things. It’s unfortunate we’re getting this amount of lash back.”

The voluntary charge is one of several recent changes made to trail usage by dogs, including trail widening on Sundog – to allow grooming by the PistenBully – and a new hitching post at the Dog Parking Lot.

Last year, rules were implemented to ensure dogs were leashed in the parking lot area and the first several hundred metres of Dog Trail, which also caused backlash.

Those rules remain in place for this season.

According to club statistics, more than one-third of the overall membership skis with their dogs.

In the spring of 2013, a variety of concerns were raised involving dogs biting people, tripping skiers and experiencing altercations with other canines.