Recreation & Conservation Committee Report

– July 2025 –

By Monika Bittel, Rec & Con Committee Chair

FMCBC’s Recreation and Conservation Committee (Rec & Con) advocates for the interests of public self-propelled backcountry recreation in BC. The Committee tends to focus on issues in southwest BC because, for most Committee members, this is their primary recreation area. However, since changing to virtual meetings, members from other regions participate in the monthly meetings or stay informed on matters of interest via the Rec & Con listserv. When addressing province-wide or regional matters, the Committee solicits input and feedback from member organizations through their representatives or designated contacts.

FMCBC is a member of the Outdoor Recreation Council of BC (ORCBC), and some FMCBC directors and members join the ORCBC’s member roundtables, provide input on position statements and attend meetings with Ministers and government officials.

If interested in joining the Rec & Con Committee or listserv, or if there are matters of concern to your organization, please contact the Committee Chair (advocacy@mountainclubs.org). We welcome suggestions to strengthen FMCBC’s advocacy and members’ advocacy.

Advocacy highlights since the Fall & Winter 2025 Cloudburst publication:

1. Recreation and Conservation Division, Ministry of Environment and Parks – Update

In mid-January, J Standen, Assistant Deputy Minister, Ministry of Environment and Parks, and J Hawkins, Executive Lead, Recreation Strategy and Service Transformation, updated ORCBC members on the new Recreation and Conservation Division:

• The Recreation and Conservation Division encompasses BC Parks, Recreation Sites and Trails (RSTBC) and the Conservation Service. The realignment and integration of the agencies started in 2022, after RSTBC was transferred to the Ministry of Environment from Forestry. J Hawkings’ temporary position to lead the transformation has been extended for at least another year to support the transition and to develop a provincial recreation strategy.
• The purpose of the transformation is to integrate management of the range of opportunities offered in BC Parks and RSTBC to give the recreating public “a seamless experience” from “website to campsite to summit”.
• While both agencies have their own legislative schemes, provincial functions like budget management, safety, compliance and enforcement, planning, and other key operations have been combined at the ministry HQ. Regional and district operations for parks, protected areas, recreation sites and trails will be jointly managed within the Coast, North and South geographical regions and seven sub-regions. This structure aligns with the Natural Resource Sector ministries and improves coordination and planning across land management programs. Changes took effect on January 13, 2025.

2. Road Access to Provincial Parks and Recreation Sites and Trails

At the ORCBC members roundtable in mid-January, J Hawkings acknowledged an issue of concern for many ORCBC members: loss of access due to lack of maintenance of resource and forestry service roads, including removal of bridges and culverts. Currently, no agency has a mandate or funding to maintain access roads for recreation. About 70 parks in the province rely on resource roads for access, as well many trailheads and recreation sites. As access is lost, pressure is exerted on the recreation sites, trails and parks that remain accessible. Two examples:

• The Walker Forest Service Road (FSR) provides access to Kakwa Park in BC. The road was closed in 2023 due to concerns about a bridge near the start of the road. Through-hikers on the Great Divide Trail, which ends at Kakwa Lake, now must hike another 60 km for pick up. Albertans have better access to this provincial park than British Columbians.
• The Nesakwatch FSR in Chilliwack is used to access the popular Slesse Memorial trail and several climbing objectives: NE Buttress of Mt Slesse, Nesakwatch Peaks and Mt Rexford. The FSR is impassable to most vehicles. Most visitors walk 7 km one-way along the FSR to access the Slesse Memorial.

In 2015, the Forest Practices Board released a comprehensive report on the management of access roads in BC: Access Management and Resource Roads: 2015 Update. Of over 600,000 km of resource roads, only about half have some agency or entity responsible for it. Generally, when the entity that built the road no longer needs it, the road may be deactivated or allowed to fall into disrepair as a “wilderness road”. The Lizzie Lake FSR is one example.

Another report of interest was released by the BC Forest Safety Ombudsman in February 2008: Review – Resource Roads 2007-08: No longer the road less travelled. The predominant past users of FSRs were forest sector employees, contractors and local communities with close ties to logging. As FSRs and resource roads are increasingly used for many different purposes, including recreation, the Ombudsman recognized that making the network of roads safe for all user groups requires both cross-government and cross-industry participation.

Recommendations to address the access issue:

• Maintenance standards: Designate roads used for recreation, with appropriate maintenance standards developed and applied to serve the recreating public.
• Access roads used by the public for recreation: Identify the access roads critical for public recreation. It is much easier to make a funding argument if managing a limited number of roads for recreation, rather than 600,000 km of roads.
• Public information about state of access roads: To keep the public informed about the state of access, including roads used for logging, develop a publicly accessible website that can be updated directly by users reporting on road conditions. A website developed by Francis Bailey, Service Road Atlas (backroadstatus.com), appears to fulfill this need.

With tourism’s increasing contributions to BC’s GDP, $9.7B in 2023, and the government’s focus on diversifying BC’s economy, a strong case can be made for the maintenance of critical access roads for recreation.

FMCBC’s 2026 BC Budget Submissions

Since 2017, the FMCBC has made submissions to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services to increase funding for BC Parks and RSTBC. These submissions are in collaboration with ORCBC and other outdoor recreation groups. The submissions and other collective advocacy efforts have resulted in positive funding announcements in the past:

• 2021: $80M for BC Parks over 3 years – the biggest funding boost in about 20 years.
• 2023: $40M uplift over 3 years for BC Parks (primarily capital funding) and RSTBC (primarily operational funding). The latter allowed RSTBC to hire more staff and 3 seasonal teams to open closed recreation sites.

These funding uplifts end in 2025. BC’s current $9.5B deficit and the economic uncertainty created by the USA administration make a further funding uplift for BC Parks and RSTBC less likely. Nevertheless, the submissions serve to inform MLAs and cabinet about the state of our parks, recreation sites and trails and build support for uplifts in future years.

FMCBC made three recommendations to enhance outdoor recreation in BC:

2. Funding the repair and maintenance of access roads for recreation:

Lack of funding for road maintenance restricts access to parks and recreation destinations and puts pressure on those that remain accessible. FMCBC recommended allocating resources to identify high-use roads to recreation destinations and to prioritize their maintenance.

3. Support for outdoor recreation volunteers:

The Government relies heavily on volunteers and non-profit organizations to build and maintain recreation trails and infrastructure. RSTBC, for example, has 388 partners maintaining about 1,000 sites and trails, almost 35% of RSTBC’s inventory. The volunteer hours equate to about 180 full-time equivalencies.

In 2023, the BC government invested $10M in the Outdoor Recreation Fund administered by ORCBC. Since it takes time to grow the fund, limited funding is available. To date, only about 15 percent of several hundred eligible applicants have received funding of up to $10,000.

FMCBC recommended a further annual investment of up to $5M over three years to expand the Outdoor Recreation Fund to support the significant unmet needs.

FMCBC Comments on Two Proposed Mountain Resorts

The Committee reviewed two mountain resort proposals in southwest BC: Bridal Veil Mountain Resort (BVMR) near Chilliwack and South Anderson Mountain Resort (SAMR) north of Hope.

1. Bridal Veil Mountain Resort (BVMR), February 2025

The proposed BVMR study area encompasses several well-established authorized trails – Mount Mercer Trail, Gloria Elk Thurston Trail, Chipmunk Creek Trail and Mount Cheam Trail – along with several unauthorized trails. A trail’s unauthorized status is a reflection on RSTBC’s limited capacity to register existing trails and authorize trail work or development, not the trail’s value. The proposed BVMR will also encompass the Chipmunk FSR, which provides access to alpine terrain around Mt Archibald, Mt Mercer, Cheam Peak and Lady Peak. While heavily eroded, the FSR is used by mountain bikes, dirt bikes, high clearance 4WDs, ATVs and snowmobiles.

Self-propelled recreationists (hikers, climbers, snowshoers, ski tourers and trail runners) may benefit from the proposed gondolas/lifts to the sub-alpine or alpine; however, the gains will be offset by the resort’s enormous footprint and the public access restrictions which typically accompany Controlled Recreation Areas (CRAs).

Several environmental concerns were also identified: Ungulate (Mountain Goat) Winter Range on Mt Laughington, east of Chipmunk Creek; Spotted Owl Wildlife Habitat Area at Elk Creek; and several significant Old Growth Management Areas – one within the Ungulate Winter Range and the other in the area designated for the resort’s two proposed gondolas.

While the proposed BVMR does not overlap with the proposed Cascade Skyline Gondola project – an initiative supported by FMCBC – it is not logical to advance both. The proposed Gondola will provide lift access to existing popular trails, such as Cheam and Lady Peaks, Mt Archibald and Mt Mercer, and will result in upgrades to the Chipmunk FSR, without damaging the existing trail network and alpine and sub-alpine ecosystems. Given the lengthy and complex assessment process for BVMR, the Gondola should be allowed to proceed. Residents and visitors will be able to enjoy the benefits of the Gondola long before BVMR welcomes guests.

2. South Anderson Mountain Resort (SAMR), June 2025

The proposed SAMR in the South Anderson River valley is adjacent to the Coquihalla Summit Recreation Area. The proposed 12,000-bed resort, with hill capacity of 9,000 skier days, requires construction of an access road and tunnel, resort village and infrastructure, a golf course and ski facilities across three mountains. The proponent seeks an exemption from the environmental assessment process because the South Anderson River valley has been extensively logged.

The Anderson River/Coquihalla area has been a popular recreation destination for self-propelled recreation since the early 1970s. Many first recorded ascents in the Anderson River group (Chamois, Steinbok, Gamuza, Gemse, Reh, Alpaca, Iago) were made by members of the BC Mountaineering Club and Alpine Club of Canada. The area (Iago, Great Bear, Zupjok Peaks and ridges, as well as Alpaca and Zopkios) continues to be popular for hiking, back-country skiing, mountaineering, snowshoeing and climbing. The proposed SAMR would impact the quality of the recreationists’ experience within the Coquihalla Summit Recreation Area and may reduce the recreation opportunities in this area.

Provincial parks, such as Coquihalla Summit Recreation Area, are critical for self-propelled recreation because they generally assure a quiet wilderness experience. The management plan for Coquihalla Summit Recreation Area designates the area adjacent to the proposed resort as a Natural Environmental Zone. The prime objective of this zone is to provide a variety of easily accessible non-motorized outdoor recreation opportunities in a largely undisturbed natural setting. Being reasonably accessible from Highway 5, the Coquihalla Summit Recreation Area and adjacent terrain are valuable for ski touring, snowshoeing, climbing and hiking.

Many self-propelled users currently recreate in the area to escape urban environments and to enjoy a natural setting with dramatic mountain scenery. The proposed resort would impact the enjoyment of the ski touring terrain accessed from Highway 5 and within the Coquihalla Summit Recreation Area, including Iago, Zupjok, Alpaca and Great Bear. From experience, resorts like to expand into adjacent protected areas (e.g., Whistler Blackcomb and Cypress) to offer new opportunities for guests and lifts to access untracked snow outside resort boundaries, encroaching into remote terrain currently enjoyed by self-propelled recreationists.

Resorts typically limit public access within or adjacent to the CRA by closing or restricting access, relegating the recreating public to dangerous and inadequate access trails or by restricting parking. Insurance, liability, operational limitations (i.e., hours of operation) and safety are often used to justify restricting or prohibiting access, resulting in lengthy and time-consuming battles to restore access to public trails or terrain within and outside CRAs.

To access the proposed resort, visitors will travel along a new 6.6 km road, extending from the Zopkios Interchange on Highway 5 through the Coquihalla Summit Recreation Area, and into a 900m long tunnel to the South Anderson River valley. An overhead line to provide electrical service to the resort will follow the new access road. The proposed road and overhead transmission line will detract from the natural setting of the Coquihalla Summit Recreation Area.

The proponent suggests improved front-country access to the Coquihalla Summit Recreation Area will offset any impacts from the resort on the park and recreational users. However, as demonstrated by the Sea to Sky Highway improvements leading to the 2010 Olympics, unless public access and parking for recreation are considered and planned in the early planning stages of road construction, access to multiple trailheads and parking will be lost. Subsequent enforcement of parking restrictions along the Sea to Sky highway closed the alternate access points used by the public. The result is enormous pressure on remaining access points and parking.

The Committee remains opposed to SAMR and will continue to monitor developments. We have asked to be informed of future opportunities for public participation should the proposed SAMR advance to the next stage of the multi-phase assessment process.

If interested in joining the Rec & Con Committee, or if you have questions or concerns from your organization, please contact the Committee Chair at advocacy@mountainclubs.org.

-Monika Bittel is the Rec & Con Committee Chair, an FMCBC Director, and a member of the North Shore Hikers.

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