Hunters lose voice

Letter to the Editor
Terry Nelson, Fernie
Fernie Free Press
August 27, 2009

Recent RDEK political pandering has left Columbia Valley outdoor recreationalists such as hunters and off-road vehicular users without a say in their local land use planning and decision-making.

As directors David Wilks, Dean McKerracher and Mike Sosnowski vote away assumed rights and valuable input of local residents with regard to the proposed Jumbo Resort's resort municipality status, I find it ironic that the ideals that they so readily support in the Elk Valley are cast aside when it comes to someone else's local jurisdiction's land use input.

This hypocritical action hands over this important community-affecting project to the province of British Columbia for its sightful guidance.

With the British Columbia provincial government's "Best Place on Earth to Exploit" mandate, it does not leave much hope for the outcome of the lands in the upper Toby Creek watershed.

As Elk Valley residents who have seen the access to previously unrestricted lands become reduced through resort expansion, increased mining tenure, municipal boundary appropriation and other forms of land preservation, we are all concerned about the long-term impacts of the land use decisions which are made in our area and feel our voices should be heard and listened to.

From the pending Island Lake Lodge development, Fernie Alpine Resort's application for expanded commercial recreational tenure, Flathead national park proposal to coal bed methane extraction in the Sort Mountain formation, Cline Mine proposal in the North Lodgepole and Nature Conservancy of Canada restrictions, coupled with future private land use acquisitions and existing land tenure which reduces our once free roaming backyard wilderness accessibility, where will it end?

I might suggest that with local cooperative input from all persons in the valley, not some distant body, a good balance could be maintained.

When the RDEK is faced with voting ont he above-mentioned land use allocations, and many others we cannot even imagine, lets hope the representatives of the Columbia Valley will be sensitive to our concerns and not bow down to some unseen foreign influence who seems to have had a backdoor input in derailing the locals' long-term needs for a sustainable community environment.