Burned forest in the Interior.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Mike Madill
October 16, 2023 - 4:30 PM
The BC Wildlife Federation is accusing the provincial government of creating an unfair two-tier system that excludes the public from wildfire affected areas and not commercial interests.
While the public is being barred access from post-wildfire landscapes, commercial businesses from logging companies to mushroom pickers are allowed to continue their operations, according to a wildlife federation media release issued today, Oct. 16.
The wildlife federation said its 2021 request for the Ministry of Forests to moderate access to wildfire-affected areas has been largely ignored.
The federation asked that these areas be temporarily closed off from motorized vehicles and plan restoration activities. They then requested a phased re-opening of areas to motorized vehicles where appropriate.
“The province must restrict commercial intrusion and motorized access to fire-damaged areas of the Interior to prevent erosion, limit the spread of invasive weeds, prevent environmental damage by off-road vehicles and to allow natural regeneration,” wildlife federation executive director Jesse Zeman said in the release.
READ MORE: Wildfire damage to BC rivers continues for many years after flames are doused
It supports backcountry closures, road decommissioning and post-wildfire restoration based on science.
However, its calling for a return to principled, science-based access to post-wildfire forests, stating that when these areas are ready to be re-opened, British Columbians should be the government’s priority, not an afterthought.
The group said it has been raising these issues to the Ministry of Forests in good faith, only to be met with no response. To date, closures have been poorly managed, unfairly implemented and enforcement has been non-existent.
The wildlife federation claims the province has also failed to address ecological concerns about road densities and salvage logging, which it highlights as the two most significant impacts on the landscape.
“Anyone looking to make a dollar has full access to these regions, while ordinary British Columbians who want to hike, camp, hunt or fish are barred from entry,” Zeman said. “These landscapes cannot properly recover if the provincial government grants exceptions, while barring you and I from entry."
Several BC First Nations have implemented regional closures themselves due to the Ministry’s dysfunctional system, according to the release.
The residual catastrophic impacts of this year’s wildfires will lead to more access restrictions, further effecting the rights of the BC public.
“When forests have recovered, and access points identified, everyday British Columbians should be top of mind,” Zeman said. “The government has shown repeatedly that it doesn’t care about ordinary British Columbians, fairness or equity when there is money to be made.”
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