Chilliwack Recreation Advisory Group Meeting October 27, 2014
Ministry of Forests Building, Airport Road, Chilliwack
Attendance list: Marina Dunn (RSTBC), Jacquie Horn (RSTBC), Tennesse Trent (RSTBC), Rose Schroeder (Horse Council BC), Scott Davis-Fisch (FVMBA), Mike Overhoff (DSBC), Brian Romak (CSC), Peter Friesen (DSBC), Leon LeBrun (TBC), Garth Harper (GVMC), Elmer Niezen ( CSC), Jack Bryceland (FMCBC), Mike Reilly (RNATV), Karin Smith (BCHBC), Kim Reeves (4WDABC), Ernie Kliever (FVMBA), Pat Harrison (HikeBC/NHT), Andrew Boxwell (BCTS), Ray Heppner (CORC), Martina Lang (Jet Set Paragliding), Randy MacAhonic (Chwk Fish and Game Club)
Guests in Attendance: Orion Engar (FVRD Area E Director), Suzanne Gieshar (FVRD), Laurie Throness (MLA Chwk Hope). Enrique Sanchez (Planning Forester BCTS), Andrew Boxwell (Co-op Student).
1. Welcome and Additional Agenda topics.
2. Introduction of Guests: by Marina D.
3. Meeting Topics
a. BCTS Stakeholder Project – Enrique Sanchez
– ACTION: asking that individual stakeholder groups arrange to sit with himself and Andrew to identify each areas of
interest and expectations in the Chwk Forest District. This will help with communication of proposed harvesting
plans and decide how to mediate expectations of all stakeholders. We should outline Core areas and any outlying as
well. Set up an appt with Andrew at Andrew.Boxwell@gov.bc.ca 604-702-5747.
– suggestion that CRAG send Enrique and Andrew an updated CRAG contact list. MOF would like to share this
contact list with their contractors who will in turn contact the group that may be impacted by harvesting work. There
was consensus that would be okay.
b. Director Area E FVRD: Orion Engar (contact: oengar@fvrd.bc.ca 604-791-8650)
– please send a CRAG contact list
– representing residents in the CRV, specifically tonight around Bell Acres
– 3 major concerns:
1. Noise – the decision making process of locating the motorized staging area at Tamahi did not include consultation
with residents.
2. Garbage and littering – happy to see user groups participating in volunteer clean ups. Suggestion to lobby for
free tipping at the local dumps.
3. Public Safety – firearms discharge. Lack of Policing issue. Awareness with signage. Recreational shooting:
each shell should be considered an individual littering charge.
Laurie Throness (MLA Chwk Hope) – also spoke on the noise issue at Bell Acres as he recently received a petition.
– please contact Laurie at laurie.throness@leg.bc.ca or 250-952-7270
Discussion:
– motorbikes and quads are to have 96 decibels of sound or less
– members of our Clubs are generally not the problem so how do we reach the others?
– historically closure has been the solution but then the good people are banned and the bad actors move elsewhere
– suggestions that helmet cam footage of delinquents can be sent in or trail cameras could be set up with cell phone
connection.
– these issues are not unique to CRV. RST uses the 4E Approach: Education, Engineering, Enforcement and
Evaluation.
c. Chilliwack District News: Staffing
– John Hawkings has been announced as the new Director for RST
– Marina will continue as acting RST Officer for Chwk Forest Dist till end of March 2015
– Jacquie’s position has also been extended to the end of March 2015
d. District Priorities – are first: commitments on outstanding contracts. Then Fee Sites as we are coming up to Camping
Season. Proposals are being gathered for operating the West Harrison Sites.
e. Lean Project Use Numbers (TRAFX counters)
– only RST can upload the data from the trail counters
– TRAFX can be used for enforcement issues as well as it has a time stamp
– counter stays out all season (1 full year) and the shuttle is brought in monthly for data download
– if any group wants one set on a particular trail contact Marina or Jacquie.
– the data helps RST obtain funding and make decisions.
– Groups could consider purchasing their own counter? Approx value $2400.00
– RST is not stuck on the brand of counter or how you collect the data. Ie. you could hire a student to sit and count!
f. Stave West Recreation Master Plan – winding up. March 16 will be presented to Dist of Mission Council and March 30
to BC Gov’t. Marina will be attending a working group meeting soon. If you have any further comments since the open
houses send to her.
g. Vedder Mountain Interpretive Forest
– Sect 56 Approval hinges on the signing of a Volunteer Agreement with VMTA
– VMTA will be sending a pros and cons list to Marina for comment so the group can make a decision on whether to
sign as one entity or as individual user groups.
– location/design and AIA’s will be looked into by Gene McInnes
h. Tennessee Trent
– PTAB (Provincial Trails Advisory Body) was explained and the list of selected ORC nominees announced.
Three year appointments
1. Andrew Drouin. Nominated by Federation of Mountain Clubs. Member of S. Okanagan Trail Alliance and Penticton
& Area Cycling Association. Resident of Penticton.
2. Tyler Kraushar. Nominated by BC Snowmobile Federation. Member of Powder Mountain and Pemberton
Snowmobile Clubs. Resident of Pemberton.
3. Orville Smith. Nominated by Horse Council of BC. Member of Horse Council. Resident of Prince George.
Two year appointments
1. Nick Heath. Nominated by Sea Kayak Association of BC and BC Marine Trail Network Association. He is a member
of both and a resident of Coquitlam.
2. Robert Holland. Nominated by ATVBC. Member of Revelstoke ATV Club. Resident of Revelstoke.
The above appointees will represent the public outdoor recreation sector in conjunction with the following:
Evan Loveless; Wilderness Tourism Association
David Oliver, BC Wildlife Federation
The following provincial and local government agency representatives will also serve on the PTAB:
Tennessee Trent, Recreation Sites and Trails BC, Ministry of Forests, Lands & Natural Resource Operations
Kirby Villeneuve, BC Parks, Ministry of Environment
Alan Callander, Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
A representative to be appointed, Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training
Brian Farquhar, BC Parks & Recreation Association
The PTAB will be co-chaired by John Hawkings, newly appointed Director of Recreation Sites and Trails BC, and Jeremy McCall: ED of ORC.
– Bowen Island and BCIT Woodlot: no update. Tennessee is still working on them.
i. Tamihi Staging Area – nearly complete.
j. Nahatlatch and Harrison Fire Lookouts – of the $7000. How much is left? Needs roofing. Money should be spent by the end of March. Materials need to be flown in? Could parking lot at trailhead be made larger?
k. Section 57 Applications (just clearing/maintaining trails)
– are there any 57’s out there? Marina needs to know. We don’t want overlapping uses conflicts.
– the Trimble GPS unit that RST has cannot be lent out
l. Section 56 Applications (gives trails a legal designation on a land base)
– there are 9. 3 are being worked on: Mt Cheam (snowmobile), Spencers Ridge (Mtn bike above Tamahi CRV) and
Tamahi (kids riding loop to help get users of the FSR which will help noise issue).
– Chapter 10 for trail standards: has not been updated as there are no resources available to do it. There are some
Engineered drawings around if needed contact Tennessee T.
m. NTC funds – some of the projects mentioned above that were approved for NTC funds also have funds coming from
RST. The issue is they won’t know for sure about the RST funds until the 2015 budget is announced in April.
n. Budget – no update
o. FSR, Gates, Decommissioning and Closures
– as far as we know there is not gate inventory at the moment
– CRAG members would rather Engineering keep an updated website consistently
– question: should Jacquie send out an email notice to the whole CRAG contact list each time she is notified the
website has been updated? Consensus was not to have Jacquie send out an email notification.
.
Here is the link to the list that is currently available: http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/dck/Engineering/Gate%20Key%20List%20DCK%20Website.pdf
* The disclaimer is that it is not up-to-date. Directions to site are attached as it is not obvious how to navigate to there.
p. District Harvesting Plans – RST has been receiving harvesting plans. The most obvious ones are: Hale Creek, Lookout
Lake, Wolf Lake and Vedder Mtn. Info will be circulated.
q. Message from CO – there will be a deer relocation project on the West Harrison Area
4. New Agenda Topics
– Share the Trails Workshop (free workshop hosted by Horse Council BC and ORC) will be held March 13 at the
Radisson Hotel Delta. Details on the HCBC website www.hcbc.ca/Trails—Recreation.html or contact Jennifer Pipe
at the Horse Council Office recreation@hcbc.ca to register.
Details of speakers at www.hcbc.ca/Professional-Development-Day.html#STT
5. Date of Next Meeting – February 23, 2015 at 7:00 pm, Ministry of Forests bldg in Chwk.Jan