In recent years, nearly 250 new provincial parks have been added to a system that already totals 717 protected areas (10.5% of the province). One would think that this would spread park users around. Not so. Many new parks are not easily accessed and won’t be for some time. But, people are venturing into protected areas. Statistics for 1996 show a staggering 23 million visits were made to BC’s protected areas, and in 1997, 60 percent of all British Columbians made a visit to at least one provincial park.

Mark Angelo, of BC Parks Legacy has been quoted as saying, “now that we have the world’s finest park system, we have the difficult responsibility of sustaining it.” “With the incredible expansion of parks it is now time to shift gears and come up with a vision on how to manage, protect and sustain these areas.”

This pressure on BC Parks comes at a time when the government is strapped for cash to operate its grand parks system. The BC Parks Legacy has been looking for ways to find new sources of financing, to involve more groups in maintenance, trail building and ecological protection.

What does this have to do with me you ask?

Well, the answer is threefold.

There are many parks in BC. The need for the creation of new ones can be argued. However, the need for recreation-based parks is eminent. Having such parks will serve to reduce the venturing of people into protected areas. Give people a local place where they belong and they will go.

There is also something to be said for involving recreation user groups in the funding, maintenance and ecological protection of their own parks. People for the most part will care for what is theirs.

We are the ones who are venturing “off the beaten path” in areas that are not yet, or perhaps soon to be, designated as parks. With this comes some massive responsibilities. Once we leave the pavement, we become keepers of the land on which we travel. Although we accept this responsibility, the difficulty we face is that not all people who travel beside us feel the same way.

Can we help to sustain the lands we travel or are we fighting a losing battle of misuse? Can we speak for all OHV users or just for ourselves? By wishing to open up an area to further use are we putting that area in jeopardy? This is the grapple- will we love this land to death?

My gut feeling is that if we manage to set the wheels rolling for the province to set up a parks acquisition program through OHV funding, the parks plan will generate a solid management plan. The designation of such parks will take the pressure off of other parts of the land that are also seeing use. So in effect, by creating an OHV park you put more pressure on one carefully chosen area, and take pressure off many more sensitive or protected areas.

For this goal, I can live with myself.

Andrea deLange

Upcoming Events

South Island

Contact Events Co-ordinator Lori Hryniuk
For Mid-Island run info, contact Steve Duifhuis

December 2000

Dec. 7 – Monthly meeting at Royal Roads Continuing Education facilites, 7:30PM. Take the first left turn after passing through the gate.

Dec 10 – Monthly Club run, Meet at Western Foods parking lot in Sooke at 9:30am

January 2001

Jan 1 – Annual New Year’s Day Run Details to be announced.

Jan 4 – Monthly meeting at Royal Roads Continuing Education, 7:30PM.

Jan 7 – South Island Monthly Club Run - meet at Western Foods in Sooke at 9:30AM.

Jan 23 – Mid-Island Monthly Club Run—meet at Tim Hortons at 9:30AM.

February 2001

Feb 1 –Monthly meeting at Royal Roads Continuing Education, 7:30PM.

Feb 4 –South Island Monthly Club Run - meet at Western Foods in Sooke at 9:30AM.

Feb 9 –Deadline for TLC Harbourview purchase offer.

Feb 18 –Mid-Island Monthly Club Run -meet in Duncan at Tim Hortons at 9:30AM.

On Saturday, November 25, 2000, the IRC and many others staged a rally for "Public Access to Public Land". Read all about it on our special OHV Rally Page.

But remember - the effort doesn't stop here. See below - Don't stop now!

Yes, the rally is over. It went well, but that doesn’t mean we can sit back and relax. We have to maintain the momentum by writing tons of letter to everyone concerned.

Write to the politicians. Let them know we want some changes to the way parks are created and used. We have some good ideas about how this can be accomplished.

Write to the car dealers. Tell them that no one will buy their SUVs and 4x4s if there’s no place to take them off-highway around here. They need to plan for the future too—this issue will not just go away. In five years, about half of all vehicles sold will be SUVs and 4x4s. The car dealers’ bread and butter depends on their support for this issue today.

Do your part in the Harbourview campaign. Volunteer for a weekend to man the gate. There are 19 Saturdays and Sundays left before the TLC deadline of Feb. 9. There are 50 members that have yet to volunteer at the parking lot. If less than 1/2 of those people volunteer one day each, we will be covered till Feb. 9. It is critical that we don't give up the fight.

Above all, be a good ambassador for our sport. We have to dispel the myth that four-wheeling is bad for the environment. Stay on the roads, and educate those around you to do the same. We can make a difference to the public’s perception of four-wheeling. With that, we will gain support for the cause. OHV parks will become a reality in British Columbia.

Contacts for Letter Writing