Backcountry Access Meeting in Port

IronNoggin

Well-Known Member
Have to RSVP to attend apparently. By the 20th which would be tomorrow.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/backcountry-access-meeting-tickets-43002705249

We are hosting a public town hall meeting to discuss solutions to the problem of backcountry access.
Participants will be asked to work together in smaller round table discussions on how we can solve the issue.


This meeting is about solutions, we ask that any stories you would like to share are shared with this office prior to the event.

Although we understand the anger behind this issue we ask that everyone who attends is respectful of all participants.
Anyone who cannot be respectful will be asked to leave.

You can reach our office at scott.fraser.mla@leg.bc.ca to share any stories or to ask any questions about the event.


Organized by Fraser due to constant pressure to do so.
Not really holding my breath for much more than Let's Sing Kumbaya... but we'll see...

Hope a few can attend...

Cheers,
Nog
 
THIS JUST IN:

A Message from Scott Fraser, MLA:
Hello,
Please note that due to weather conditions, this meeting for tonight will be postponed.
Information on a new date will be forthcoming.
Thanks,
Scott Fraser, MLA

Verified on Facebook

Nog
 
The light snow we had early this morning switched to drizzle, then faded out completely.
Now the sun is threatening to come out. The Hump and the highways are clear.

To top it off, Fraser is currently in a closed meeting right here in town.
Guess his reference to weather being the excuse might actually be referring to a different type of "climate"?
smiley-plugging-nose.png



From FB:

Councillor Denis Sauve
1 hr ·

Presently at the Port Alberni Best Western with MLA Scott Fraser with discussions to discuss significant problem with Private Managed Forest Companies restricting access to the backcountry and provincial parks. MLA Fraser has raised this issue with the previous government numerous times. Since being re-elected MLA Fraser has met with both the Private Managed Forest Companies and the Minister of Forest, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development. We are hopeful that solutions can be found to ensure that the public is able to access the

 
Was at one time not so long ago in NDP a fellow remove the gates and forbid more go up?

That was not the NDP but it was the Greens and no less it was Dr. Andrew Weaver.
I've been thinking of shooting him a line to see if going to bring this up again and perhaps this time make it a bill.
 
From Facebook:

I received a summary of the private meeting on back-country access to private lands yesterday. There were 14 representatives from government, 9 representatives from industry and 22 representatives from user groups.

Link:

https://lookaside.fbsbx.com/file/Ba...Cz4T_fo9MPPB4q1SGCbebHyL2aI6yOlYBiD4Laf8pQLlh

Back Country Access Meeting: February 23rd. 2018

Tables started off by discussing the problems associated with backcountry access. Problems identified by tables include;

 Members of the public being trapped behind gates

 Issues of safety

 Vandalism, theft, equipment damage

 Illegal garbage dumping

 Wildfires

 Issues around liability

 Lack of access to provincial parks

 Reduction in eco-tourism opportunities; tourism based business have been unable to get access agreements due to liability issues

 Cost of keys to unlock the gates

 Lack of respect; companies not feeling they are getting respect from general public and general public feeling they are not getting respect from companies

 Emergency routes blocked by locked gates

 Agreements aren’t inclusive of all groups and are expensive

 Those who abuse back country access


All attendees were asked to mark the solutions that they found to be the best. The top six solutions of the meeting were;

 Access agreements with a larger scope. Instead of an access agreement with user groups the access agreement would be with either the local regional district, council or provincial government.

 Implementing a trail patrol program similar to citizens on patrol. These patrols would help monitor and manage the back country. The patrols would also assist with clean up and enforcement of safety measures. This would include utilizing the various user groups to be the eyes and ears to report problem users.

 Education about safe access, about issues concerning seasonal usage, and logging practices. Along with better communication between industry, government and the public.

 Dispose of all gates and deal with vandalism and theft as they arise

 Registry program where members of the public register their vehicle information with the company which promotes accountability

 Revitalize the Private Managed Forest Land Act

Other solutions that were discussed during the meeting include;

 Updated signage with information on who to contact with problems and/or concerns.

 Restricting the number of main access points with security and cameras. This would include a discussion with users to find which access points are most used.

 Working with Regional Districts and local Councils to promote free dump days encouraging people to use the dump rather than the back country

 Implementing a better reporting system for non-compliance

 Bringing back light systems on logging roads; red means active logging, amber means possible activity, proceed with caution, and green means okay and safe.

 Possible legislative laws created to further protect companies from liability issues. An example would be Denmark’s common sense law.

 Modify existing dumping laws to increase fines. Use this increase in fines to offer incentives for people to report illegal dumping.

 Creating possible tax breaks for land owner companies for costs associated with maintaining and managing public access areas.

 Treating main lines to provincial parks as crown land

 A reservation system similar to what is currently used on the West Coast Trail

 Management of the back country paid by the public via taxes

 Looking at possible purchase or acquisition of land for parks and access to parks

Cheers,

Nog
 
Pisses me off to see the ******** privatization of the backcountry... What's wrong with this province, corporations and government(s)?
Looks like some good solutions there. Should never have been locked up in the first place.
Give em hell NOG..
 
Just wanted to note that the attendees were quite varied in their backgrounds.
At our table alone were fly-fishing enthusiasts, trail riders, and hunters.
In the room there were hikers, birders, ATVers, and back-country tour operators.
Overall a rather wide cross-section of those who wish to see the back country opened back up for their use & enjoyment.

One of the main questions I wanted to pose to Fraser was regarding the land transfer clause which was embedded in the original agreements. He has pushed that widely, and in private meetings provided me (and others) with the reference transfer agreements wherein that clause appeared in black & white. For that reason, many of us ran with it, so we have all been rather surprised it has not been mentioned again since Fraser was re-elected. My assumption began to focus on it perhaps being simply an election ploy, but Fraser had been saying this for many years.

Before I could even brace him on the matter, he explained to all that the industry's position was that said clause applied ONLY to Weyerhaeuser who was named in those original agreements, and not transferred down to subsequent land deals transferring lands to IT & TW. When questioned, industry's response was basically how deep are your pockets. If it goes to court we will guarantee you it will be tied up for a very very long period of time, and there is at least a 50-50 chance we will win. So, unless we want to shell out massive amounts of coin, and witness the back-country remain locked up for many years as court proceedings continue (Ad nauseam) another route has to be found.

Damn. Embarrassed I was taken in, and for those I suggested the transfer clause route was the way to roll - I sincerely apologize.

This is a bit of an interesting process, and there were quite a few issues and possible solutions defined. I am hopeful, but the usual caveats when any politico gets involved as to just what will come of it all are still very much there. I told Fraser he better get things rolling beyond reports & meetings well before next hunting season, or he could expect the situation to explode. He and his staff seemed to get the message.

Time will tell...

Cheers,
Nog
 
Last edited:
Just wanted to note that the attendees were quite varied in their backgrounds.
At our table alone were fly-fishing enthusiasts, trail riders, and hunters.
In the room there were hikers, birders, ATVers, and back-country tour operators.
Overall a rather wide cross-section of those who wish to see the back country opened back up for their use & enjoyment

You're missing the user group with the most pull of all.
 
There were a few present at this meeting, and at the previous one.
Some have concerns in this regard.
Given just how much night time hunting activity occurs in the areas that are open here (5 - 6 months of the year) and given the effect that has on deer (and sometimes elk) populations, the thought is that some method of limiting that behavior must be identified. That said, the two groups here are in support of increasing the access for all...

Nog
 
In the lower Mainland we have had a huge amount of backcountry closed. However, clubs like 4by4 association has been given keys to access these areas after massive efforts to arrange clean ups ect..

No point in getting First Nations involved they will always be able to get access. They know it too so they keep their mouths shut hopping everyone else will get locked out.

Good luck, It's a hard fight and as populations increase it gets harder and harder. We have areas where the RCMP just park outside of on the weekend and check everyone coming out of the Stave, Harrison ect.. RCMP don't want to deal with it so they lobby municipalities like Mission to lock out access.

Nog I commend you for taking up this fight it's not easy
 
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