Whereas the British Columbia provincial parks system represents an invaluable public asset to remote and rural communities, supports the integrity of our economic and social structure, promotes the physical well-being of our citizens, and presents a healthy and diverse natural environment; And whereas the diminishing road access to our communities provincial parks is currently disabled by abandoned, closed, or un-maintained logging and forest service roads: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM ask the provincial government to enable access to provincial parks and that access roads be designated as public roads and maintained as such.
Ministry of Forestry, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development The province recognizes that resource roads accessing BC Parks are important for the well-being of rural residents, and that back-country recreational users are important to local economies. Many of these old roads and trails were built in challenging locations and are subject to frequent natural events. Our decision to reactivate a damaged road takes into consideration environmental risk and public safety, as well as the cost of repairs and long-term maintenance. Although the FLNRORD engineering budget does not include the repair and maintenance of roads accessing BC Parks, staff look for opportunities to co-ordinate with licensees and other agencies to keep as many roads open as possible. Road maintenance must be in accordance with the legislation and standards of the responsible agency. Ministry staff are working with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure MOTI, as well as BC Parks, to determine which resource roads we can maintain. FLNRORD is also working to assign responsibility for roads to the most logical Ministry, allowing the roads to be maintained to the appropriate standard.