|
Sandra Mattia
and all other "four-wheelers" should get a life. She offers her
health problems as a reason to destroy the environment. This so
typical in our society. Yet another case of some individual promoting
her/his own selfish interests at the expense of the environment.
Racing around the wilderness producing greenhouse gases, loud and
sustained noise and tearing up the forest floor have no place at
all on this planet. It is absolutely disgraceful that anyone should
be permitted to use carbon-fuel-powered vehicles for "recreation."
Freedom of movement is not the issue here, it is about protecting
the environment. Pandering to these idiots is the same as joining
them in the destruction of our environment. The time has long past
for our governments to take action and to seriously curtail carbon-fuel
and noise pollution. I'm not talking about pollution taxes. I'm
talking about eliminating the source of the problem.
It is up to every individual, including Sandra Mattia, to protect
the Earth from pollution of any kind. If you're not part of the
solution, you're part of the problem!
David
Gwynne, Cedar.
Lots
of users
Re: Recent
criticism of the use of off-highway vehicles at Harbourview Road
in the proposed Sooke Mountain Park area.
As an off-road
motorcyclist and active visitor to the area, I am in favour of finding
a solution that allows the land to be used by multiple users: horses,
4x4 vehicles, hikers, mountain bikers, motorcyclists.
Many groups, in particular the Island Rock Crawlers, are active
in working to keep access to this land open to all potential user
groups after it becomes a park. User group stewardship can work,
e.g., the Hartland Surplus Lands and mountain bikers who work to
keep the trails packed and free of trash.
In any user group there are unfortunately irresponsible people who
won't care for the land. Still, the area has been logged twice in
the last century and still has paved raod in places. To call these
lands pristine or 'recivering from the effects of logging" is specious.
The core user group at Harbourview has a vested interest in keeping
the land accessible and well-managed: it's one of the few places
we can go to practise our sport. And yes, it is a sport—I challenge
anyone who's never tried off-road riding to come out with me and
my friends one Sunday and not go home feeling like they've had a
workout.
To suggest that OHV users should but their own land is not an appropriate
solution: were bicyclists and hikers asked to personally purchase
the land for the Galloping Goose? Were dog walkers asked to contribute
money to upkeep the "leash free zone" at Beacon Hill Park? Let's
work together to find a solution that can accommodate multiple users.
Natalie
Crawshaw, Victoria
Sharing
the parks
Re: "Four-wheelers
protest lack of access to trails," Nov. 26
Bill Turner
of the Land Conservancy states two things will happen to the Harbourview
Road lands: TLC will buy it and protect it, or it will be subdivided
and developed for housing.
Turner and people like him with a narrow view of what is an acceptable
form of outdoor recreation know all the right buttons to push. This
is nothing more than a threat by the TLC that there are no alternatives.
Trees or houses.
These are not public lands ... all usage on the property is in fact
trespassing. I understand fully that these are private lands and
the stand taken by the present landowner is justified and necessary
as a protection from possible litigation.
But the subtle innuendo is that mechanized-user groups and others
such as equestrians are nothing more than people who totally disregard
private property. This is simply not the case, and on any weekend
I can take you to areas on Vancouver Island and show you the cars
parked at gated-off private lands of hiker who are off trespassing
.... I mean hiking.
Four-wheelers who follow the Tread Lightly code of ethics do not,
repeat, do not drive through woods, nor do we drive off roads that
are established, the most common charge made by people who don't
want anyone but hikers on the land. Unfortunately there are members
of our user groups who disregard their Tread Lightly code of ethics
on both public lands and in parks.
There is room for all of us in the outdoors. I think if the thousands
of people who support protection had access to all the facts on
Harbourview, Turner and the TLC would be shocked at how some of
these people would share our view of shared and equal access for
all.
Rory
Brown, Nanaimo.
4WD
misinformation
Re: "Four-wheelers
protest lack of access to trails," Nov. 26
As the organizer
of the Public Access to Public Lands rally and member of the Island
Rock Crawlers 4WD Society it is nice to finally get the publicity
that our recreation so rightly deserves ("Four-wheelers protest
lack of access to trails," Nov. 26).
It is unfortunate, though, that the writer focused on the local
issue of the "Harbourview Lands" instead of the bigger issue and
reason for the rally, which is the need for the provincial government
to recognize the needs of motorized users in the creation of Off
Highway Vehicle (OHV) Parks in BC.
Bill Turner, executive director of The Land Conservancy of B.C.,
is quoted as saying "these are not public lands…they are private".
There are no indicators that it is private land; no fences, no gates,
no signs and no police charges laid. The majority of users have
no idea they are on private property.
These lands are PUBLIC LANDS and have a long-standing history of
use such as four-wheeling, hunting, fishing and camping. The government
has recognized these traditional uses and continues to permit such
activities to occur there.
Turner states; that "driving four wheel drive vehicles does damage
and disrupts the wildlife like the Roosevelt elk". Roosevelt elk
are not found in the Sooke Hills; the terrain and habitat is not
desirable for their population.
And a note for the TLC, if you need some help raising money, perhaps
the OHV community can raise it through a provincial levy on OHVs
-- providing a park for all to use-not just an elite few who have
the physical capability and the moral righteousness.
Lori
Hryniuk,
Island Rock Crawlers event co-ordinator
and land use representative,
Sooke..
Now read what Lori
really wrote here.
|
Island Rock Crawlers Home Page
