heyjude
RIP Judy
- Joined
- Dec 1, 2006
- Messages
- 923
- Reaction score
- 1,216
- Location
- McBride, B.C.
- Website
- www.mountainhavenbb.vpweb.com
Thought you might like to read an email we received from a hiking club regarding garbage left behind by sledders. Since alot of the garbage was sled parts, we cannot argue that it wasn't sledders. Our local hiking club helps us out with the spring cleanup, but we cannot cover the more remote areas.
Note that copies of the email were sent to some very influential people, and was also posted in the Prince George Newspaper for all to see.
We WILL lose our sledding areas if these things do not stop. Not just here in McBride, but all over the province. I really cannot blame these hikers for being upset. This is a beautiful area and should be kept as pristine as possible.
The idiots that left behind the garbage are a VERY small percentage of sledders, but they are the ones that will be responsible for getting our areas shut down. Then they will wonder why they can't sled here anymore.
Enough said - just read the email and see what you think:
_________________________________________________________________
"""Barry Wallin, McBride Big Country Snowmobile Club
In mid August the Caledonia Ramblers Hiking Club did a nine day
backbacking trip along parts of the National Hiking Trail between East
Twin Creek and the Blueberry area north and east of McBride. There
were 12 of us and we were quite amazed and disgusted by the amount of
garbage we encountered through the Mount Renshaw snowmobiling area.
We encountered large numbers of beer cans, juice containers, wrappers
from various snack items, pieces of snowmobiles (especially treads) and
a variety of other items. The prize was a large tupper ware container
full of granola and chocolate bars and dried meat. If what we
encountered along out route, without searching, is typical, we wonder
how much garbage must be scattered throughout the entire Renshaw
snowmobiling area. At several locations we found several beer cans so
it was obvious that a group of snowmobilers (sledders) had stopped,
drank their beer and cast the cans into the snow. Same with food
wrappers.
We picked up the garbage we encountered and carried it to our next camp
where we either burned or buried it.
It seemed to us that if the sledders can carry food and drinks in on
their sleds, then they should be able to carried the garbage home. It
has never been acceptable practice to litter the countryside with
garbage but it is even less acceptable today when our government and
society generally is realizing humanity just cannot continue to abuse
our living space.
Sledders clearly need some education on protecting the environment.
Clearly at least part of the fault for this situation lies with the
McBride Big Country Snowmobile Club. The Club manages the Renshaw area
along with Lucille and Bell Mountains. There is nothing on the website
about protecting the environment, nothing about carrying out what is
carried in by sledders and no signs at the trail head on the subject
either. Perhaps the Club has signs/posters at their cabins. If not,
there should be!
The Snowmobile club, at the very least, should be conducting a clean-up.
There should be no need for government to police the behaviour of
sledders with regard to treatment of the environment. Sledders should
be treating it as a privilege to be able to snowmobile in BC's
backcountry or anywhere else. If sledders have such a low regard for
the environment that they feel they can throw their garbage willy-nilly
about the landscape then perhaps they should be barred from using BC's
backcountry entirely and especially the Renshaw area. The garbage is a
rather poor testament for them. It is not what one expects to see
when hiking the National Hiking Trail.
At the very least, NO new areas should be permitted for snowmobile use
until sledders demonstrate they can treat existing areas they use with
respect.
Dave King, Hike Leader
Caledonia Ramblers Hiking Club
copy:
Clara Appleby, McBride & District Chamber of Commerce
Elaine Gillette, Recreation Officer, Min of Tourism, Culture and Arts,
McBride
Dean, Cherkas, Manager Crown Land, Integrated Land Management Bureau,
Prince George
Shirley Bond, MLA, Prince George-Robson
Note that copies of the email were sent to some very influential people, and was also posted in the Prince George Newspaper for all to see.
We WILL lose our sledding areas if these things do not stop. Not just here in McBride, but all over the province. I really cannot blame these hikers for being upset. This is a beautiful area and should be kept as pristine as possible.
The idiots that left behind the garbage are a VERY small percentage of sledders, but they are the ones that will be responsible for getting our areas shut down. Then they will wonder why they can't sled here anymore.
Enough said - just read the email and see what you think:_________________________________________________________________
"""Barry Wallin, McBride Big Country Snowmobile Club
In mid August the Caledonia Ramblers Hiking Club did a nine day
backbacking trip along parts of the National Hiking Trail between East
Twin Creek and the Blueberry area north and east of McBride. There
were 12 of us and we were quite amazed and disgusted by the amount of
garbage we encountered through the Mount Renshaw snowmobiling area.
We encountered large numbers of beer cans, juice containers, wrappers
from various snack items, pieces of snowmobiles (especially treads) and
a variety of other items. The prize was a large tupper ware container
full of granola and chocolate bars and dried meat. If what we
encountered along out route, without searching, is typical, we wonder
how much garbage must be scattered throughout the entire Renshaw
snowmobiling area. At several locations we found several beer cans so
it was obvious that a group of snowmobilers (sledders) had stopped,
drank their beer and cast the cans into the snow. Same with food
wrappers.
We picked up the garbage we encountered and carried it to our next camp
where we either burned or buried it.
It seemed to us that if the sledders can carry food and drinks in on
their sleds, then they should be able to carried the garbage home. It
has never been acceptable practice to litter the countryside with
garbage but it is even less acceptable today when our government and
society generally is realizing humanity just cannot continue to abuse
our living space.
Sledders clearly need some education on protecting the environment.
Clearly at least part of the fault for this situation lies with the
McBride Big Country Snowmobile Club. The Club manages the Renshaw area
along with Lucille and Bell Mountains. There is nothing on the website
about protecting the environment, nothing about carrying out what is
carried in by sledders and no signs at the trail head on the subject
either. Perhaps the Club has signs/posters at their cabins. If not,
there should be!
The Snowmobile club, at the very least, should be conducting a clean-up.
There should be no need for government to police the behaviour of
sledders with regard to treatment of the environment. Sledders should
be treating it as a privilege to be able to snowmobile in BC's
backcountry or anywhere else. If sledders have such a low regard for
the environment that they feel they can throw their garbage willy-nilly
about the landscape then perhaps they should be barred from using BC's
backcountry entirely and especially the Renshaw area. The garbage is a
rather poor testament for them. It is not what one expects to see
when hiking the National Hiking Trail.
At the very least, NO new areas should be permitted for snowmobile use
until sledders demonstrate they can treat existing areas they use with
respect.
Dave King, Hike Leader
Caledonia Ramblers Hiking Club
copy:
Clara Appleby, McBride & District Chamber of Commerce
Elaine Gillette, Recreation Officer, Min of Tourism, Culture and Arts,
McBride
Dean, Cherkas, Manager Crown Land, Integrated Land Management Bureau,
Prince George
Shirley Bond, MLA, Prince George-Robson
