Canadian EarthCare Foundation/Society
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 Letter to Minister de Jong
July 18, 2002
Honourable Michael de Jong
PO Box 9049, Stn Prov Govt
Victoria BC
V8W 9E2
Fax: 250 387-1040
Dear Minister de Jong,
The Canadian EarthCare Society is extremely concerned with your decision to halt the maintenance and upkeep of forest service roads (FSR), trails and recreation sites throughout the province. With regard to the Okanagan Valley, we are concerned with the Ministry of Forest's decision not to maintain access to the Myra-Bellevue Provincial Park via two forest service roads (Myra Canyon and Little White). It is our understanding that you intend to now re-classify these roads to a wilderness designation. This designation will result in these roads not being maintained. It is irresponsible of your Ministry to shed this responsibility. By doing so, you may create a situation that may cause potential harm to residents and tourists alike.
The Kettle Valley Railway (KVR), and in particular, Myra Canyon, is a major tourist attraction. Approximately 40,000 people visit the KVR each year. The economic benefits to the Kelowna area are substantial. Kelowna Tourism estimates the direct impact at some $5 million each season. This figure does not include all the indirect benefits of people visiting our area. What signal are you sending to tourists that may plan to visit our community and parks?
Myra-Bellevue Provincial Park is only one example within this province of the potential and negative spin offs of this ill-conceived plan. We have numerous forest service roads that access parks throughout this province. As the Minister of Forests, you have not respected the public's right to be consulted regarding access to crown land. Your ministry has stated that you are no longer in the business of forest recreation. If not your Ministry, who is then? Is it your intention to blatantly disregard a recreation system put in place by the taxpayers of this province?
The Okanagan-Shuswap Land Resource Management Plan did not recommend the dismantling of the forest recreation site, roads and trails system. As residents of British Columbia we urge you as the Minister of Forests to remedy this situation throughout the province immediately. We implore you as the minister to maintain the forest service road infrastructure before either human or environmental health is placed at risk as a result of not maintaining the road systems to our parks.
We look forward to your response regarding the questions contained in this letter.
Environmentally yours,
Canadian EarthCare Society
Lloyd Manchester
Senior Policy Advisor
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EarthCare has used appeal processes, the court systems, and lobbying of politicians and corporations in effort to create positive change.
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Canadian EarthCare Society
Email: info@earthcares.org
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