Petition presented at B.C. legislature critical of reduced backcountry access

A battle over access to backcountry hiking, fishing and camping on Vancouver Island spilled into the B.C. legislature last week with the Opposition accusing government of ignoring the public interest.

Alberni-Pacific Rim NDP MLA Scott Fraser, who presented a petition with more than 6,000 signatures, said people trying to get into parks and recreation areas through private lands too often encounter locked gates.

“People of Vancouver Island are being systematically prevented from accessing their backcountry, the areas that they've used as recreation — for hunting, fishing, birdwatching, mountain climbing,” he said.

“The minister knows this. He’s done nothing for a year about this except spout a company line. He’s supposed to take care of the public interest, not some private interest.”

Forests Minister Steve Thomson said the government recognizes the importance of public access to Crown land, but he said companies can temporarily close roads to private-managed forest land due to safety, operational or fire risks.

“We agree that access to the Crown lands is important for recreation, for tourism, for all the other values on Crown land,” he said. “But we do understand that you do need to make sure that it’s done in a way that it mitigates and protects against those risks.”

The exchange followed a protest near Port Alberni, where Island Timberlands has faced criticism for restricting access to some areas.

“Island Timberlands temporarily restricts access in the interest of public safety,” Thomson said in a statement. “Recently roads have been gated due to extreme winter conditions and unsafe driving conditions. Roads can also be gated to avoid interference with active harvesting operations.”

Thomson noted in the legislature that Island Timberlands has access agreements with a number of groups, including the Alberni-Clayoquot regional district.

“We will continue to promote and work on those access management agreements to make sure we provide that access, recognizing the important responsibility of public safety and protection of forest assets, protection of company assets, protection of the values in those areas and, mostly, public safety,” he said.

Island Timberlands said in a statement that access may be restricted “temporarily or permanently, to ensure the safety of the public and our employees and contractors, protection of the environment, and the security of assets.”

The company added that it has an online blog with up-to-date information on access to its properties.