A12 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, August 3, 1994 Gov't to deal on wild land PUBLIC ACCESS to back- country areas will only be restricted on small parcels of lease land typically one hectare or less, according to a new policy. Moe Sihola, minister of en- vironment, lands and parks, an- nounced the moratorium on issu- ing backcountry recreation leases and licenses will be lifted later this year. The move comes some five years after efforts began to develop a new policy to control” the rapidly growing backcountry recreation industry in B.C. The interim policy allows 15- year leases that grant the holder exclusive rights to Crown lands, and five-year licenses of occupa- tion that allow full public access. Ed Opal, manager of develop- ment and marketing for BC Lands in~ Skeena, said leases granted to commercial operators will give them the right to ex- clude non-paying members of the public. Leases will be used for permanent structures such - as lodges and ‘helicopter . landing pads. a “We'll only deal with leases on permanent structures and the area to be leased will only be the mini- mum. area required,’’ Opal said. But full public access is guaran- teed under another form of back- country tenure, @ license of oc- — cupation. The license, good. for five years and removable with six months notice, will be used for things such as trails, bridges, and pack animal shellers. - Even if members of the public haven't paid, Opal said, they will be able to freely use a trail built by license holder and camp for no charge as long as it’s nol in a site developed by the commercial op- erator. \ _ “IE they’re going to stay in a lodge or tent camp provided by one of these developers, then you just pay (market value),”’ Opal said. : “If you chose to tum a right seven Sisters _ ticked THE EMERGING B.C. back- — country adventure tourism indus- - try is crying foul over a new policy announced by the provin- cial government. The NDP’s interim Commercial Backcountry Recreation Policy will allow 15-year leases on small parcels of Crown land beginning this fall. “Speaking as a person who's looking for investors, we think it’s horrible,’ said Art Bates, president of Seven Sisters Ven- tures. The company was recently granted permission to proceed with plans for a $22-million hut- to-hut hiking operation in the mountains west of Cedarvale. Bates said he and others in the backcountry recreation industry were expecting longer leases, per- haps for 30 years. Seven Sisters was granted a five-year license of occupation earlier this year with (he under- Standing that slatus would be up- graded to a long-term lease for parts of its proposal when the new policy was announced. “Tt’s From the investment view- point, that’s the bummer here,”’ Bates said. “It’s absolutely the uncerlainty. That’s the thing that J think every tourist operator will complain about,” He said investors demand security, and in this case the im- portant iking is the length of a lease on Crown land. “The first thing that major in- vestors want 10 know is how much and how long,’’ Bates said. Under the new policy — ex- pecied to become law sometime later this year — 15-year leases will apply to small (typically one hectare) parcels of land for Specific purposes such as lodges and helicopter landing pads. Holders can renew their lease every five years. Other backcountry tenure will fall under five-year licenses of occupation for things such as trails, bridges, campgrounds and pack animal shelters. Licenses will have a three-year replacement option, but they can be cancelled. with six months notice when the land is required “in the public interest,’’ the policy states. Other . resource users such a§ loggers will have complete access to lands under a license of occupation. * angle and go a little way off the rail and make your camp, that’s your business and there’ll be no charge.’’ , All that’s spelled oul in tenure documents that BC Lands |s now authorized to offer developers. For larger operations, such as Seven . Sisters, . Opal said, ‘umbrella agreements?’ will like- ly be drafied with developers using a combination of leases, li- censes of occupation and rights of way. Those larger agreements will be held together using an overall management — plan prepared by the developer and ap- proved by government agencies. At least a half a dozen ap- plicants in northwestem B.C. have wailed months if nol years to apply for backcountry tenure. “We assume that there’ll be many, many more people who will pursue this once they hear this thing is up and running,” said Opal, . His office expects to begin ac- ecpting formal applications for tenure sometime this fall now that anew policy has been announced. Many people waiting in the wings for the. government to Lift its moretorium on backcountry tenure cried foul when news got * out recently “that Seven” Sisters” ~ Ventures had been given permis- sion to proceed with plans io build a $22-million. hut-to-hut hiking operation in the mountains just west of Cedarvale. This most recent interim policy followed that protest. Opal said the Seven Sisters pro- ject is unique, a test case in the works for six years. BC Grown, Canada No. 1 “Our assumption was that this test case would rall along through the planning process and along the way this new (backcountry) policy would be enacied,’’ he said. But the process of drafting a policy proved complicated. _ “Tt has been’ a’ long-winded, very. protracted planning process to try to get all the parlies on line,” Opal said. ‘They didn’t leave a rock unturned.” Planners hit walls on the issue of granling tenure on native tra- ditional territory, and the public was concemed about access and a policy that might redefine the meaning of wilderness. There’s kind of a dichotomy there, because it’s wilderness and yet we're going to develop parts of it,’ Opal said. so * Research & Corrections * Collection Services «Up To Date S * Automatic Re-billing + Free Pick-up & Delivery U A & e HEART AND STROKE FOUNDATION OF B.C, & YUKON IMPROVING YOUR ooDSs AGAINST CANADA'S #1 KILLER Box 22, Terrace, B.C. Major Credit Cards Gt aan 1 fou “ere { Fark tax deductible Your In Memoriam gift is a lasting tribute. Please send your donation to the address above, along with the name and address and the name and address of the next-of-kin, for an acknowledgement card. PEACHES i RS CANNING JARS ‘Pint.........5.88 .88 A BACK FOR!