Groups feeling excluded

from vital land use d

_ By CHRISTIANA
WIENS

A PROPOSAL to ban snuw-
‘mobiles and other motorized
traffic from seven local
mountains is being privately
debated by a body in charge
of deciding key land-use is-
.Sues in this area.

The Kalum Land and
Resource Management Plan
(LRMP) organizers have so
far failed to invite snow-
_ mobilers to meetings discus-
sions have centred on the
_,proposal put forward by the

Mt Remo Backcountry
~ Society,
’ The group, which is build-

ing a cabin on Mount Remo
along a ridge east of Shames
Mountain, wants a ban on
motorized access on Mount
Remo, Sleeping Beauty
Mountain, Mount William
Brown, Mount Morris and
Shroud Mountain west of
Terrace as well as Maroon
Mountain, Mount Garland
and Glacier Peak to the
north of Terrace.

“We always wanted to
talk to the clubs involved,”
said foresis recreation su-
pervisor Dave Bewick, who
sits on the planning com-

mittee, “And it doesn't
sound like there will be a
problem.”’

But when members of the
Skeena Valley Snowmobile
Association were asked, few
knew of the proposal or of
the LRMP process that
holds monthly meetings to
set land-use priorities within
the Kalum Forest District.

While ELRMP working
group mectings are open to
the public, their times and
places are not generally ad-
vertised.

And if members of the
public did attend, they can
only act as observers and
aren’t allowed to participate.

“**They told us if we talked
to the media we'd be kicked
out,” said one member who
asked not to be identified,

But, he added, the LRMP
table hasn’t issued regular
public announcements, leav-
ing taxpayers out in the cold

until the ‘this fall, when the |

gtoup feels it'll be ready.
“Tf the LRMP table

doesn’t get news releases

‘. out to the public, how are
people supposed to know???
he asked,

In addition, he said,
government cfficials and
native representatives can
‘go to meetings held during
the day when other com-
mittee members can’t be-
cause of job commitments.

Eamon O’Donoghue, a
forest service official in
charge of meeting and
agenda scheduling, said he
tries to have meetings when
' members can attend
whether that be evenings,
weekends or during the day.

And, he said, scheduling is
a delicate balance for
government staff. who can
end up working seven-day
work weeks,

- Q’Donoghue added that
_the issue of paid representa-
tives was taken out of con-

_ text, First Nations represen-
tatives, he said, are not paid
to sit at the table but are.
paid if they need extra time
to be brought up to speed on
specific land-use issues.

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He said anyone could app-
ly for reimbursement if it
can be proven they bring
unique and crucial view to
the table.

O'Donoghue opposed
public discussion of the
details of the proposal now,
adding that should wait until
the fail.

The Terrace Rod and Gun
Club and the B.C. Wildlife
Federation will also be
shown proposals this fall
which could affect them.

But affected groups fear it
could all be settled by then,
with little chance 10 change
whatever recommendations
emerge.

Bewick said the Mount
Remo Backcountry Society

targeted specific small al- .

pine areas and proposed the
LRMP table set them aside
for non-motorized use,

The areas, he said, would
balance use of popular
snowmobile trails on Thorn-
hill Mountain, Robertson
Ridge, Claque Mountain,
Bolton Ridge, Sterling aud
Trapline Mountains,

The LAMP table
hasn't issued regu-
lar public announce-

.menis, leaving tax-

payers out in the
cold until the this
fall, when the group
feels it'll be ready
to release its
proposals.

The areas are necessary
because high-tech snow-
mobiles are beginning to ac-
cess areas never reached be-
fore, he added.

‘It’s wrong and I’m dead
set against it,’ said Ron
Niesner, director of the B.C.
Snowmobile Federation’s
northwest zonc. “It’s not
balance when there are ex-
clusive areas.’’

Niesner sat in on the
LRMP planning sessions
when they started years ago,

but found them too general

to be productive.

“No area should
be excluded and
don’t expect my tax
dollars to pay for
it. ¥

He said organizers had
promised that snowmobilers
would be told if decisions
began to affect them.

“Te doesn’t make sense
that we wouldn’t be in-
volved,’’ Niesner said.

He would be in favour of
limited access such as after-
season or by-penmission
snowmobile use on Shames
but not total exclusion,

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Gerry Martin

“No area should be ex-
cluded and don’t expect my
fax doHars to pay for it,’
Niesner said.

He said the only
snowmobile-designated area
in the district is Sterling
Mountain and, for access,
Big Cedar River.

Niesner says those areas
aie not exclusive and any-
one is welcome to use two
emergency cabins as Jong as
they replace wood and other

ebate

materials taken,

The focal club is now
planning to name a repre-
sentative to the LRMP
board.

Shames Mountain Corpo-
ration president = ‘Gerry

Martin said the ski corpora-
tion’s ability to expand will
be restricted if surrounded
by no-access areas,

He said the non-motorized
proposal on the only local
mountain where more than
$5 million is invested is ex-
tremely frustrating.

‘Not that we have plans
right now,’ said Martin.
‘We just don’t want our
hands tied.”

Martin said the Mt. Remo
backcountry group is taking
advantage of the Shames
parking lot since the lot is
easily accessible and skiers
can get access to the cabin
via the Shames lift.

The next LRMP meeting
is scheduled Junc 10-11 at
the Kalum Forest District
offices, the meetings run
from 1 pam. until 9 p.m.
June 10. The public is wel-
come to attend as observers,

The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, June 16, 1999 - A7

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