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Snowmobiling in Kakwa Subject of Special Meeting

By 250 News

-by Lee Sexsmith

On Friday, June 24th at 8:30 am at the WLAP office, 4501 - -18th Avenue, there wil be an effort to defend, and continue public access to Kakwa Park.

The park is not readily accessible from the BC side in the summer time anymore as the road is washing out in many sections and Forestry and Parks both aren't interested in seeing it kept up. Jim Humphery used to keep up the road to access his marble quarry in the park but he has fallen on tough times and the quarry is for sale.

The Walker Creek Forestry road, as it is known, is 90 long to the park boundary, then continues on for many miles to the quarry back in the park. The PG Snowmobile Club built a beautiful cabin at the park boundary that can sleep 14+ people as this is the only practical means to enjoy and access this BC Park.

For years and years snowmobilers have enjoyed riding the area in the winter, but now have caught the attention of the Environmental Fanatics (EF's). Apparently the thought of people like us regular slobs enjoying a winter touring the park is driving the EF's nuts. The EF's are throwing all sorts of mom's apple pie and mother earth issues at us snowmobilers but are having difficulty making anything stick. Still that is not stopping the EF's from hauling us to the table at the Parks office in an effort to control and restrict one of the perks and enjoyment we get out of living in Prince George.

On the other hand the EF's have no problem with the Alpine Club of Canada going into Kakwa by helicopter on July 15 for eight days of hell rising to climb Nilah, Pommel, Kichi, Dorsal, Dix Lacs, Obelisk and Sir Alexander. The price of $3,100 is simply too steep for us ordinary slobs that are more used to financing our recreation investments over three years.

Pat Bell and Shirley Bond deserve credit for working with the issue and kept the EF's off our backs for a while. I was hoping the EF's would go knit some new sweaters and leave us alone, but they didn't go away.

I understand Ben that you like to take your boat out on the local rivers occasionally and I was wondering if the EF's had an issue with that yet? Does your recreation distract or disturb any wildlife that lurks on shore or under the water? Have you ever spilt a drop of gas or oil in the water? Does your exhaust go into the water? If the answer is a possible yes, you are going to have to stay home or pay an official wildlife organization to go out on the water for a day, just like us.

I think you should come to the Parks meeting. The list of attendees, except for us, do not use the park in the winter time, yet those people will be telling us what to do. The EF's are trying to widen out the attendees to their advantage and I think we should accommodate them with a similar response. Is it important that the door is not opened to put your type of outdoor recreation at risk next? The Fraser River is already on some sort of world list of important rivers and that is the door the EF's use to walk through to claim anything as their responsibility. The kind of park they will be taking about in your case is parking the boat for good. 

Here is the Plan for the meeting:

DRAFT Meeting Plan

Purpose Statement: To discuss snowmobiling in relation to Kakwa Park Draft Management Plan and attempt to achieve agreement on issues.

1. Welcome and brief opening statement of facilitator's (Norman Dale) understanding of the structure and purpose of meeting

2. Introductions - go around the table --each person gives brief intro, no commentary (yet) on meeting, issues etc.

3. Confirmation of meeting plan, purpose changes and additions...

4. Some basics about of Consensus-Seeking and Simple Meeting Ground-rules - Norman

5. Where we're "at" – (10 minute overviews with. time after each for clarification

(a) history of park establishment and activities - Gail Ross

(b) current activity in and regulatory and management challenges - Rick Roos

(c ) outline of the draft management plan emphasizing what it contains about snowmobiling and the reasons from BC Parks perspective - Gail Ross

6. Round the table on each participating interest's perspective on and vision for the future of Kakwa and its use.NOTE: If some of you are coming "in pairs" representing a given perspective, it would be helpful if the two of you could collaborate and choose one to speak at this point rather than go over same or similar material twice. We'll allow 5 uninterrupted minutes, more or less, per perspective.

7. Facilitator to recap of discussion with summary of (a) points of agreement; (b) issues about which there are outstanding differences.

8. Round- table discussion on ideas about what can be done to reduce/eliminate differences, possible ways to reach some agreement on snowmobiling and Kakwa.

It is anticipated that from here forward we will proceed as discussion permits to work together on resolving differences, aiming to reach or approach consensus on mutually acceptable terms for snowmobile access and related issues.

There’ll be a refreshment break at 10:15 (20 minutes) and lunch at 12:15 (45 minutes). An afternoon break will be scheduled during the meeting.



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