A frank assessment of the West Stave Lake area and the Mission Interpretive Forest initiative.
The trouble with volunteering to represent a group of people as diverse as wheelers is that one gets labeled as ‘political’ and therefor unable to speak honestly and clearly. We all know how much we like discussing politics…NOT! Anyhow, I am going to attempt to ‘cut to the chase’ and offer my frank assessment of the current realities of West Stave and the future of West Stave in the eyes of the District of Mission and the Provincial government. A tall order to be sure as I have no grounds to speak on behalf of either of those governments. However, since 2010, I have spent a lot of time working on behalf of the Association alongside of this initiative. We have had a very positive effect on the proposed Recreation Master Plan that the District of Mission has been developing.
West Stave Lake, a short history: This area is the traditional territory of Kwantlen, Leq’a mel, and Matsqui First Nations. Stave River was dammed twice in the 1920’s which flooded a large stretch of the river and has been generating power since. Tree Farm License 26 (TFL 26) was granted to Mission in 1958 and since then, the West Stave area has been an industrial forest averaging about 10,000 logging truck loads per year.
http://www.mission.ca/forestry/stavewest/stave-west-overview
Recreation in this area has been a constant with 4x4ing, fishing, hunting and boating existing alongside the forestry industry and the dam. Until the 80’s, West Stave was visited primarily by local residents. But as time passed neighbouring communities to the west began closing off public lands access to licensed vehicles and these recreationalists had no choice but to venture east to access their passion; the back country, the mountains, the peace, the tranquility, the wheeling! A perfect example of this is the Blue Mountain closures in Maple Ridge. In 2000, forest service roads into Blue Mountain were gated blocking access to licensed vehicles. This meant that wheelers in Maple Ridge had to travel to Mission to access public lands. And they did, as did all other north shore residents in communities west of Maple Ridge and quite a few from south of the river as well.
Today, the image of recreation in West Stave is associated with motorized recreation in the mud flats, unregulated shooting, garbage dumping, drunk and dangerous driving, burnt cars and danger in general.
While the above statement is very unfair to all of us wheeler’s, it is a very good representation of the reasons behind our advocacy efforts on behalf of 4x4 recreationalists. This is why the Four Wheel Drive Association of BC began our West Stave Lake cleanup events in 2002. This is also why we have worked continuously to promote the rights of wheelers in West Stave as it is the primary recreation spot for thousands of wheelers.
Mission has just completed the second set of public open houses where they put forward their proposed vision and breakdown of the public’s input in their first set of open houses. This information is available here;
http://www.mission.ca/forestry/stavewest/draft-plan-overview-and-questionnaire/
There are two very significant things represented by slide 7, which is a breakdown of the proposed recreational zones.
The first is that Rockwell Creek and Kearsley Creek fsr’s are encompassed in a large motorized recreation area. Inside this, the Four Wheel Drive Association of BC will be building the beginnings of a Motor Park. Starting with a campground and a staging area for truck and trailers in 2015 and regaining access to Blue Mountain, an off-road driving course and self-recovery training after that and visions of a rock crawling course and a mud track in the future. This Motor Park has the potential to bring Mission to the pinnacle the motor sports world by complementing the Mission Raceway.
The second is that the mud flats have not been classified yet. We have been lobbying hard that access to the mud flats for motorized recreation is critical to the success or failure of the entire recreation plan initiative. Interests in this area stem from archeological significance to environmental concerns to being the prime territory with southern exposure. The fact that this area has NOT been designated in this proposed plan tells me that our voices are being heard and the reality of recreation today is motorized on the flats and this must be accommodated.
Tim Horton’s has also been actively involved in this intiative with their proposed Tim Horton’s Children’s Foundation Camp for economically disadvantaged kids.
http://www.mission.ca/wp-content/uploads/THCF-Camp-Road-Funding-Announcement1.pdf
So, what does it all mean? Currently, West Stave is basically unregulated with the exception of gates blocking access to almost every tributary road, ie Rockwell, Kearsley etc. Regulation and significant change is coming with or without our input. We figure it is better to provide that input and influence the process. You can provide your own by filling out the Stave West Fall 2014 Public Questionnaire
http://www.mission.ca/forestry/stavewest/draft-plan-overview-and-questionnaire
In the meantime, we will continue working on our motor park concept in January with an Archeological Impact Assessment and surveys of the land. If you have knowledge in the areas of surveying, GIS, Environmental protection, drafting…we are in need of many volunteers to help make this vision a reality.
We will also continue lobbying hard for inclusion in the Recreation Master Plan of motorized recreation and camping on the mud flats.
Personally, my impressions, skepticisms and hopes have changed substantially through the 5 years that I have been involved! It is difficult to not be pessimistic as a wheeler in this province. We have seen closure after closure of wheeling areas around our urban centres. I think the tone of this project and thus the process used in this project has changed for the better over these years. Discussions have become more inclusive and Mission is working hard to gather input from the public. The Kwantlen Nation has been involved in an active way which in itself is a large change from the past. The Four Wheel Drive Association of BC has had a growing influence on this process and project as well. We represent the largest group by far in the recreational community and it is very important that we are heard.
I believe that these plans signify that we are being heard. Please consider adding your voice as well.
Kim Reeves,
President, Four Wheel Drive Association of BC.
The trouble with volunteering to represent a group of people as diverse as wheelers is that one gets labeled as ‘political’ and therefor unable to speak honestly and clearly. We all know how much we like discussing politics…NOT! Anyhow, I am going to attempt to ‘cut to the chase’ and offer my frank assessment of the current realities of West Stave and the future of West Stave in the eyes of the District of Mission and the Provincial government. A tall order to be sure as I have no grounds to speak on behalf of either of those governments. However, since 2010, I have spent a lot of time working on behalf of the Association alongside of this initiative. We have had a very positive effect on the proposed Recreation Master Plan that the District of Mission has been developing.
West Stave Lake, a short history: This area is the traditional territory of Kwantlen, Leq’a mel, and Matsqui First Nations. Stave River was dammed twice in the 1920’s which flooded a large stretch of the river and has been generating power since. Tree Farm License 26 (TFL 26) was granted to Mission in 1958 and since then, the West Stave area has been an industrial forest averaging about 10,000 logging truck loads per year.
http://www.mission.ca/forestry/stavewest/stave-west-overview
Recreation in this area has been a constant with 4x4ing, fishing, hunting and boating existing alongside the forestry industry and the dam. Until the 80’s, West Stave was visited primarily by local residents. But as time passed neighbouring communities to the west began closing off public lands access to licensed vehicles and these recreationalists had no choice but to venture east to access their passion; the back country, the mountains, the peace, the tranquility, the wheeling! A perfect example of this is the Blue Mountain closures in Maple Ridge. In 2000, forest service roads into Blue Mountain were gated blocking access to licensed vehicles. This meant that wheelers in Maple Ridge had to travel to Mission to access public lands. And they did, as did all other north shore residents in communities west of Maple Ridge and quite a few from south of the river as well.
Today, the image of recreation in West Stave is associated with motorized recreation in the mud flats, unregulated shooting, garbage dumping, drunk and dangerous driving, burnt cars and danger in general.
While the above statement is very unfair to all of us wheeler’s, it is a very good representation of the reasons behind our advocacy efforts on behalf of 4x4 recreationalists. This is why the Four Wheel Drive Association of BC began our West Stave Lake cleanup events in 2002. This is also why we have worked continuously to promote the rights of wheelers in West Stave as it is the primary recreation spot for thousands of wheelers.
Mission has just completed the second set of public open houses where they put forward their proposed vision and breakdown of the public’s input in their first set of open houses. This information is available here;
http://www.mission.ca/forestry/stavewest/draft-plan-overview-and-questionnaire/
There are two very significant things represented by slide 7, which is a breakdown of the proposed recreational zones.
The first is that Rockwell Creek and Kearsley Creek fsr’s are encompassed in a large motorized recreation area. Inside this, the Four Wheel Drive Association of BC will be building the beginnings of a Motor Park. Starting with a campground and a staging area for truck and trailers in 2015 and regaining access to Blue Mountain, an off-road driving course and self-recovery training after that and visions of a rock crawling course and a mud track in the future. This Motor Park has the potential to bring Mission to the pinnacle the motor sports world by complementing the Mission Raceway.
The second is that the mud flats have not been classified yet. We have been lobbying hard that access to the mud flats for motorized recreation is critical to the success or failure of the entire recreation plan initiative. Interests in this area stem from archeological significance to environmental concerns to being the prime territory with southern exposure. The fact that this area has NOT been designated in this proposed plan tells me that our voices are being heard and the reality of recreation today is motorized on the flats and this must be accommodated.
Tim Horton’s has also been actively involved in this intiative with their proposed Tim Horton’s Children’s Foundation Camp for economically disadvantaged kids.
http://www.mission.ca/wp-content/uploads/THCF-Camp-Road-Funding-Announcement1.pdf
So, what does it all mean? Currently, West Stave is basically unregulated with the exception of gates blocking access to almost every tributary road, ie Rockwell, Kearsley etc. Regulation and significant change is coming with or without our input. We figure it is better to provide that input and influence the process. You can provide your own by filling out the Stave West Fall 2014 Public Questionnaire
http://www.mission.ca/forestry/stavewest/draft-plan-overview-and-questionnaire
In the meantime, we will continue working on our motor park concept in January with an Archeological Impact Assessment and surveys of the land. If you have knowledge in the areas of surveying, GIS, Environmental protection, drafting…we are in need of many volunteers to help make this vision a reality.
We will also continue lobbying hard for inclusion in the Recreation Master Plan of motorized recreation and camping on the mud flats.
Personally, my impressions, skepticisms and hopes have changed substantially through the 5 years that I have been involved! It is difficult to not be pessimistic as a wheeler in this province. We have seen closure after closure of wheeling areas around our urban centres. I think the tone of this project and thus the process used in this project has changed for the better over these years. Discussions have become more inclusive and Mission is working hard to gather input from the public. The Kwantlen Nation has been involved in an active way which in itself is a large change from the past. The Four Wheel Drive Association of BC has had a growing influence on this process and project as well. We represent the largest group by far in the recreational community and it is very important that we are heard.
I believe that these plans signify that we are being heard. Please consider adding your voice as well.
Kim Reeves,
President, Four Wheel Drive Association of BC.
