West Harrison Recreation Sites Closure Notice – Update
Dear Campers,
It has been several days since we were required to close five campgrounds on west Harrison, and we have been working diligently to re-open them as soon as possible. We have deeply appreciated the support from many people who have taken the initiative to contact RSTBC to let them know how important re-opening these sites are. Regrettably, we understand that RSTBC responded with misleading information, suggesting that Sts’ailes had the option of keeping the Campsites open. This is untrue. The following is a direct quote from RSTBC to Sts’ailes:
“It is my understanding that the Harrison West Rec Sites are currently open. We have completed danger tree assessments for these sites, but treatment has not been completed. With the campgrounds currently open, this puts the public at unacceptable risk. Under no circumstances can a campsite or campground facility (ie, outhouse) that is within 1.5 tree lengths of a danger tree remain open to the public. To address this, you must immediately close any campsite or any other facility that is used by the public that is within 1.5 tree lengths of an identified danger tree. These trees are marked either with orange paint, white ribbon, or red/blue ribbon. Please treat any tree with any of these markings as an identified danger tree. If it is not possible to complete this at any one rec site or campground, then that entire campground will need to be closed until we are able to treat the area and remove the trees.”
Because RSTBC identified 400 ‘danger’ trees in the five campgrounds and didn’t provide a map to indicate where they are, it should be self-evident that it would have been irresponsible to keep any portion of the campgrounds open. We have requested that RSTBC correct their earlier statements, and hold themselves accountable.
We are very disappointed that the campgrounds will need to remain closed this weekend (May 2nd and 3rd) and are making every effort to start opening them again by next weekend (May 9th and 10th). Ultimately, these closures are a direct result of insufficient funding available to RSTBC and years of negligence, so even when we are able to re-open campgrounds, we may continue to face challenges until the Province places more value on recreation in British Columbia.
We will do our best to keep everyone informed.
Morgan Ritchie, PhD
Heritage & Environment Manager
Xwilexmet, Sts’ailes
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