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Rupert Merer provided Backcountry BC with his excellent report of BC Parks Spending from the Late 1980's.   Some of the most noteable trends are BC Park's heavy shift away from staff to constractors with their capital expenditures. Most important is a dramatic shift of funding priorities away from backcountry facilities to front country facilities.View Rupert's full report at the link below: BC Parks Spending from the Late 1980s  

The expression of interest is here: https://backcountrybc.ca/document-category-layout/zincton-resort-proposal-may-2020/viewdocument Concerns around this proposal are from a backcountry access point of view. The resort proposal is stated to be an all-season resort. This would come under the All Seasons Resort Policy of the province which is administered by Mountain Resorts Branch. The proponent is asking for a "controlled recreation area" or CRA. The concern is that public access is...

At the request of Backcountry BC, the BC Parks Enhancement Fund supplied us with the details of all 220 projects funded by the BC Parks License Plate Program. Of note is a near absence of funding for backcountry trail, cabin, parking, recreation and access infrastructure.  We will let you be the judge. BC Parks License Plate Program Projects 2017 - 2018 BC Parks License Plate Program Projects 2018-2019 BC Parks License Plate Program Projects 2019 - 2020

Pinecone Burke proposal by B.C. Mountaineering Club

BC Parks Zoning Framework pub. June 1, 2012, BC Parks Garibaldi Park Cultural History pub. March 14, 1984, author Katie Bell, Bell Forests and Parks Enhancement Garibaldi Park map pub. January 22, 2016, Ministry of Environment Garibaldi Park Master Plan pub. September 1990, BC Parks Garibaldi Park Zoning Map pub. 1989. included as Map 3A in Garibaldi At Squamish resort proposal Garibaldi Park Zoning Map pub. 2016 showing Whistler Heli-skiing Ltd. permit area overlayed on the wilderness...

BC Timber Sales, Arrow Field Team, has road construction plans within areas that overlap with the Columbia Western Rail Trail The roads proposed in Operating Plan #16 will be authorized under Forest Stewardship Plan (FSP) #601. As per the Forest Stewardship Plan, BC Timber Sales refers the location of the planned blocks and roads to stakeholders, interest groups, and the public that may be affected by the development. The road construction plan for Operating Plan #16 includes plans to...

This issue regarding trail management on Crown land on Bowen Island came up at the March 2020 meeting of the southwest B.C. recreation and conservation committee meeting of the Federation of Mountain Clubs of B.C. The group Bowen Community and Nature (Bowen CAN), has posted the following information. The Issue There has been inadequate community consultation regarding the management of trails and the use of motorized vehicles on Crown Lands. What you need to know Bowen Island is treasured...

Garibaldi Provincial Park Southwestern Amendment ⇐ click on the link to launch the website. A proposal by the British Columbia Mountaineering Club for new recreation opportunities and conservation in the southwestern corner of Garibaldi Provincial Park.  

The following organizations have endorsed the Garibaldi Park southwestern amendment. British Columbia Mountaineering Club          Squamish Access Society

Conceptual layout of a hiking trail between Coquitlam and Squamish. The Opal Cone trail as laid out in the Garibaldi Park southwestern amendment is necessary to its realization. As part of longer range planning, it is highly desirable that a long distance hiking route between Coquitlam and Squamish be considered. The Opal Cone trail proposed in the Garibaldi Park southwestern amendment would be a key trail as there is no other trail connecting Pinecone Burke Provincial Park to Squamish. A...

Watersprite Lake in fall. Photo: Michael Iwasaki. Watersprite Lake lies 700 meters south of Garibaldi Park Park and less than 3 kilometers west of Pinecone Burke Provincial Park. A trail, campsite and hut were built in the last five years by the B.C. Mountaineering Club. The trail and campsite were built in partnership with Recreation Sites and Trails BC. As such, the experience is a good proxy for what to expect of recreation development and impacts should the proposed Garibaldi Park...

On the west flank of the Garibaldi massif (Dalton Dome, Mount Atwell and Mount Garibaldi) there is important mountain goat winter range identified by the province as UWR MQ-1, meaning "ungulate winter range". It is one of the largest winter ranges identified for mountain goats in the south coast region. There are several threats to its viability that are emerging. It is suggested that UWR MQ-1 be given enhanced protection by either adding the entire UWR area to Garibaldi Provincial Park or...

  Google Earth rendering of an oblique view looking north up Skookum Creek to Mount Garibaldi, Opal Cone and Mamquam Lake. There is a proposed trail from the Skookum Creek trailhead to Opal Cone. It would provide connectivity to the Diamond Head trailhead.   Looking south across Eanastick Meadows and down Skookum Creek. The meadows are created by a volcanic plug that dams the outwash from Pyramid Mountain and Spire Peaks to create a meadow. The term "meadow" is more of a misnomer...

This section discusses the trails and park area that are approached from the Skookum Creek trailhead. Google Earth rendering of an oblique view looking east from above Elfin Lakes across Skookum Creek to Mamquam Mountain. Skookum Creek flows left to right. Its east fork drains the valley to the left of Dreadnought Peak. To a large extent, the area east of Elfin Lakes is zoned Wilderness Conservancy. The proposal is to change the zoning to be Natural Environment, which is the same as Elfin...

  Google Earth rendering of an oblique view looking south from above Clinker Ridge showing the Warren Glacier area of the southwestern amendment. It is bounded on the south by Brohm Ridge and Mount Garibaldi, on the east by Glacier Pikes and on the north by Clinker Ridge. Warren Glacier flows down the north side of Mount Garibaldi. The proposed Swift Creek trailhead off Sea to Sky Highway is off to the west on the righthand side. Mount Garibaldi from Clinker Ridge looking south....

Introduction A letter campaign initiated by the British Columbia Mountaineering Club in 1915 followed by a second campaign in 1917 supported by the Alpine Club of Canada (among others) led to the Garibaldi Park Reserve being established April 28, 1920 by Order in Council of the provincial government. One hundred years later, the B.C. Mountaineering Club now proposes the Garibaldi Provincial Park southwestern amendment. The southwestern amendment proposal is for an expansion of the trail and...

The intent behind a FOI request I made was to research a surprise I found while hiking near Hidden Peak on 20190728. I found a heli landing pad marker stake is on the flat patch at 50.21577, -123.23189. This appears to be just inside the Park boundary. Based on the FOI results, two heli operators are permitted to operate inside the Conservancy, but not the Park. It is likely that this stake belongs to one of these two companies. It is therefore possible that one (or both) of these companies...

According to Squamish Chief newspaper, April 12, 2019: The Squamish-area mountain range has captured the attention of prospective developers for decades. Now, a new application proposes a wilderness lodge at the top of Brohm Ridge, near man-made Natasha Lake. Don Worthington has owned a private cabin on Brohm Ridge since the 1970s, and has made similar applications to provide remote accommodations in the area before. Now, he's proposed a new three-storey lodge, which would house up to 18...

In light of the land grab feeding frenzy by Blackcomb Helicopters Ltd., Whistler Mountain Bike Groups, and Sun-shine Coast Mountain Adventures Limited (SCMA) we are beginning to investigate and ask more detailed questions.  We may also begin a campaign and/or petition for a moritorium on these commercial recreation applications in the coming weeks should answers not be adequate or forthcoming.     -x-   Dear Mr. Standen, Mr. Vanderzalm and Mr....

Kees and Clair hut takes shape.  The capacity of the hut, I'm told, is 40 persons. There are 10 tent pads at the northwest corner of the lake with an occupancy of 4 persons each. That's another 40 persons. Since the existing Russet hut will be removed once K&C can be occupied, there is an overnight capacity of 80 persons. I heard BC Parks may add some more tent pads next year. The day visitor capacity in summer should be based on the land base through which visitors can disperse....

Another day, another wilderness commercial land grab. https://arfd.gov.bc.ca/ApplicationPosting/viewpost.jsp?PostID=55367&fbclid=IwAR0DzTxc56b9CMx-0OiEMkePY8fq7VoyjaKSh1NlEgR0EXgl-cezVvfjJOQ Client: Blackcomb Helicopters LtdPurpose: COMMERCIAL RECREATION/MISCELLANEOUSRegion: Lower Mainland, SurreyAgency: Crown Land AllocationFile: #2411936 Location: Pemberton Area (Hectares): 2,531.91 +- BCGS Mapsheet: 92J025 92J026 Legal...

Too many issues, not enough advocates, too many hungry hippos. Blackcomb Helicopters has applied for a heli-biking tenure in the Tenquille Lake Area (Comments close July 19th). Thank you to Steve Jones for raising this issue with us. From the change.org petition (sign by clicking...

This is an older article written in 2013  by Leigh McClurg at http://pebbleshoo.com/athelney-pass-the-park-that-never-was/ I wanted a record of it here so McClurg's article it is not forgotten or lost on the internet: -x- I uttered those words as myself and Spring had just found a large rock that would be comfortable to sit on as we unpacked our lunches. We where sitting atop “The Elephant”, an unofficially named volcanic plug of rotten rock. A few kilometers away we could...