A popular North Okanagan hiking trail has once again been a victim of vandalism. Vandals used a chainsaw to cut down a cedar tree before stealing the sign at the Rose Swanson Mountain trail.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Friends of Rose Swanson Ecosystem Society
April 04, 2022 - 4:55 PM
A popular North Okanagan hiking trail has once again been a victim of vandalism.
And the vandalism is more than just graffiti from unruly teenagers, this time a chainsaw was used to cut down a large cedar tree.
According to a media release from the Friends of Rose Swanson Ecosystem Society, the Armstrong area Rose Swanson Mountain trail has seen several acts of vandalism recently.
Last spring, wooden signage in the Rose Swanson parking area was ripped down and burnt by vandals.
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A metal replacement, which was hoped to be largely un-burnable, was then used to replace the wooden signage.
It was then attached to a large cedar tree six metres above the ground.
However, sometime in the last two weeks, the tree was cut down and the sign was stolen.
The vandalized tree is seen in this submitted image.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Friends of Rose Swanson Ecosystem Society
"The vandals were very lucky to walk away from this," Friends of Rose Swanson Ecosystem Society member Beverley Peacock said in a media release. "When their chainsaw cut halfway through the tree, it ‘barber-chaired’ and broke off a few feet above the cut. Even experienced fallers can be seriously injured or killed when this happens."
The tree was left, but the sign was gone.
"Unfortunately, there have been too many instances of illegal logging, fires and vandalism in this well-loved and popular area," Peacock said.
In early 2021, the province released plans to widely log the area. The move created a large pushback from the public with more than 20,000 people signing a petition.
Owing to the public pressure in February 2021 the government then announced it was putting a pause on the proposed logging.
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