typical government

[briguy99]

was just reading the local news and saw this...prob old news but always generates good discussion


September 9, 2009

Kamloops – The B.C. Liberal government still intends to bring in off-road vehicle legislation, but the minister responsible said Monday there is no deadline and the issue remains contentious.

B.C.’s Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts Kevin Krueger spoke to reporters Tuesday at an announcement of $550,000 for recreation and trail maintenance as well as work to thin trees in interface areas.

Much of the $14-million funding announced across B.C. consists of maintaining or adding to B.C.’s estimated 30,000-kilometre trail network.

Krueger acknowledged conservationists as well as some in the off-road vehicle industry and user groups have pushed for legislation that would register machines and license riders. B.C. is one of the only provinces without registration and licensing of riders.

A coalition of riders and conservationists drafted proposed legislation three years ago and submitted it to the government. Victoria, however, has not taken any action to register dirt bikes and ATVs.

“There’s a whole range of public opinion on how far to go. I think we’re getting close to an announcement,” Krueger said in an interview.

But the Kamloops-South Thompson MLA would not indicate the direction government is moving. Options range from a bare-bones registration of off-road vehicles to more ambitious licensing and insurance through ICBC.

Diane Lawson, an off-road vehicle tour company operator based in Kamloops, said she is hopeful — despite waiting for years with no action from Victoria — that the B.C. Liberal government will introduce regulations.

Lawson, a former motorcycle dealership owner, said she witnessed firsthand problems with theft of dirt bikes and ATVs, which are not registered and cannot readily be traced by RCMP.

“We need registration at a minimum,” she said. “As a tour operator in the future we need to know who’s riding out there and to identify those riders.”

Krueger did not indicate whether legislation wouid include measures such as safety training or rider licensing.

“We think we’re getting close to consensus on the issue. Not everyone wants to see regulation.”

heres the link Province stalled on ORV licencing | City & Region | Kamloops Daily News

Cheers all

 

[intmid8or!]

just great,.....

 

[powerteker]

so right now in bc u dont have to get a plate on ur sled???

 

[glengine]

Never had to have a plate on your sled in BC. But they say you are supposed to have a litttle yellow registration decal on it..

 

[powerteker]

Never had to have a plate on your sled in BC. But they say you are supposed to have a litttle yellow registration decal on it..

oh I've got all that I just can't bring myself to put the plate on!! Insurence is nessary!!!! don't get left in the cold all alone

 

[jonniebud]

alot of the sleddin clubs to my knowledge sell 3rd party insurance for their members already for cases where your sled gets a way and hurts some one. but it is a little ludricus that if my sled breaks down in the back country im responsible to get it out but if i call search and rescue its free (daa what to do)the regestration part i agree with to many sleds are bein stolen and no way to trace them.but her is the real killerHELP STOP ANOTHER BC SELL OUT - Prevent Bill 30 from being passed

Bill 30 has the potential to seriously damage the BC economy

BC politicians have engaged in astounding efforts to covertly slide through a piece of legislation which would unquestionably disadvantage not only every member of the mining community but also every hunter and fisher, potentially all residents of BC and many visitors to our fair province. The political agenda with this Bill is to deregulate, reclassify and privatize all of BC’s back-roads, removing public ownership and the right to free use. All this was about to be accomplished without consulting affected industries and without seeking the approval of a majority of the population. (NOTE: On May 6th the government announced it would “defer the bill” so it would not receive Third Reading in the Spring Legislative Session – however this does not mean the bill is dead or withdrawn, only postponed to resurface at a later date.)

This Bill and others like it have been introduced by the self purporting ‘business friendly’ Liberal government without due process of consultation. There are at least three other examples of the government legislating first, then asking for input to put in the regulations:
1) Free miner notification to private landowners, enacted as part of Bill 12 in 2007
2) the embargo on uranium development announced on April 24/08
3) Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Bill 43 that will amend the Law and Equity Act that will permit expropriation of crown land with no compensation allowed unless a specific compensation agreement is in place.

Bill 30 deals with the privatization of publicly owned roads (roadways which for the most part were built and paid for by every taxpayer of this province). This Bill intends to create a whole new and unaccountable level of bureaucracy called the ‘Resource Road Authority’ that will have the power to determine who should manage roads, who will be allowed to use roads, when roads need to be completely closed to all access, and what the user fees will be. All of this with no right of appeal to either government or through the courts.

The long-term effects of Bill 30 will be devastating to any area of the province whose economy is dependant in any way on the development of outlying resources and backcountry recreation.

The government maintains Bill 30 arose out of concerns for the safety and well being of British Columbians after WorkSafe BC and the provincial Coroner released reports in 2007. In fact the roots of this Bill date back to 2002 when the Ministry of Forests issued a new road maintenance policy which in part reads “Other than for roads used by the ministry’s Timber Sales Program, the ministry will no longer maintain Forest Service roads with industrial use and, with few exceptions, will no longer maintain Forest Service roads for motor vehicle access where there is no industrial use” and “Forest Service roads that do not access communities but are used to access popular recreation areas, private property, or commercial operations will be transferred to another agency or organization or maintained commensurate with the level of use by the ministry on a user-pay basis”. This was followed in November of 2005 by the creation of a committee called the Resource Road Act Steering Committee (RRASC), the original drafters of Bill 30 (composed of high level bureaucrats from a number of ministries with no representation from either industry or the public).

If Bill 30 becomes law, the new Road Authority will have the right, if they can find no industrial user to foot the bill for upkeep and maintenance costs, to shut roads down with total deactivation that will essentially make the areas impassable for all types of vehicle access. This will include removal of culverts and bridges, cross-trenching roadways, and erecting gates on any roadway they choose, blocking free passage and closing vast areas of the province.

Fees, based on usage, will be eventually be levied for all users with the forest industry enjoying exemption of road maintenance costs, while the mining community and all other industrial and commercial users are left to pay for the upkeep and, in some cases, even the capital construction costs. This is in spite of the fact these capital costs were already paid by stumpage credits.

Additionally, these road deactivations will render the currently in-place network of forestry roads inaccessible for fighting forest fires resulting in increasing threats to life and property. And yet the government continues to maintain privatizing these roads is a safety issue.

The freedom of being able to travel our back-country at will to develop our resources and enjoy outdoor recreation will become a thing of the past. Our children and their children will lose the opportunity for that inherent freedom. As citizens of this province and users of our backcountry roads we must act swiftly in uniting and lobbying against such disadvantaging legislation.

Talk to everyone you know who uses the back-country for any kind of industry or recreation. Talk to your local town council, regional district and chamber of commerce. Talk to anyone who stands to lose revenue over the loss of these rights. Petition your friends, co-workers, neighbors and relatives. Muster their voices. If Bill 30 is permitted to pass its third reading, every single individual within this province, or visiting it, stands to lose.

Fundamental rights which the general public has enjoyed since the founding of this province will vanish and become but another segment of politically oppressive history. The taxpayers of British Columbia deserve the right to not only be informed of such sweeping changes, but to weigh in on whether they want them. Government seems to have developed an attitude that it knows what is best for us. Is that because they feel we are children who cannot take any responsibility for ourselves? Every British Columbian should have a voice through referendum on whether they wish to see this legislation proceed.

Please speak out against Bill 30 and the manner in which this government is doing business.

For more information on Bill 30 Resource Roads Act, please refer to the following links and draft submissions.



The following is excerpted from the Vancouver Island Exploration Group’s summary:

Let us hope that this Bill 30 dies on the order paper. It will give everyone an opportunity to step back and begin anew. Despite all denials and misdirection's to the contrary, this legislation fundamentally impacts the way in which British Columbian's will interact with their publicly owned lands. Regardless of what your personal opinion is - or your position on the merits of Bill 30 - the citizens of British Columbia have not been afforded an opportunity to understand or debate the principles involved. As the White Paper on this proposed legislation suggested in 2005, this legislation transfers responsibility (thus ownership) of these roads from our Forest Service to the private sector. In other words, whether you call it "off loading" or "privatizing", this Act represents a fundamental change - a change which has not yet been debated by the public. As well, this Act will orphan roads (which include many of our interior back country roads) who will not have a "designated maintainer". Without a "designated maintainer", for reasons of public safety or environmental integrity, this Act anticipates deactivation. (see the Summary at the end of Bill 30). As a consequence, access for hunting, fishing, and all other recreational pursuits (as well as small enterprise) will be dramatically impacted - whether or not "fees" for road use are charged or not. Simply put, this government does not, at this time, have a mandate to enact the "Resource Road Act".

Once Section 14 of Bill 30 comes into force, publicly owned "forest service roads" will cease to exist. Re-designated as "resource roads", everyone's right to access to Crown Lands using existing roads will be determined under Section 11 of the new "Resource Road Act", and if deemed a "commercial activity", by Sections 38 and 39.


Dan P. Berkshire
Chair, VIX Bill 30 Direct Action Committee.[/i]
once they take our back country where do we go

 

[bbtoys]

wonder if this will affect our clubs MA with the forestry and MOTCA