The Rover-Landers of BC

Hi All,

Very popular areas for off-roading and off-road enthusiasts are the Chipmunk and Thurston Loops in the Chilliwack River valley, these loops make their way up to a great lookout above Bridal Falls.
There is a lot of talk about development in this area including a new Gondola from the base of the Bridal Falls up to the look-out.
This petition is not to stop this development but more to get us (4WD community) a seat at the table to be apart of the discussions and ensure that our off-road access is maintained as part of the Master Plan. Please support this petition by clicking on the petition button in this link;

Cheers,
Andy Deane
President- Rover-Landers of BC

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Dear Rover-Landers,

When the plan was announced to close a large section of the backcountry above Bridal Falls for the development of a gondola-accessed recreation area, a swath of other outdoor recreationists balked at maps that showed how many of their favourite trails would be affected, including several very popular FSRs and 4x4 trails.

These groups, including ours, have been asking for months to be invited to the discussions around continued access to this area and the trails we love. Their efforts, and a letter recently shared in the media, have led to a meeting later this week with the executives from some of the concerned groups, including the 4WDABC.

We ask that other wheelers join in signing this petition - we are arguably the largest group represented here, and the results should reflect that: https://www.change.org/p/stop-chilliwac ... u/31253109

We (the user groups in general) are not trying to stop the project or deny other backcountry enthusiasts another form of access to one of our favourite areas. We merely wish to be included in the discussion to try to keep access open for all

Thank you
4WDABC

Thanks Andy. Right in my backyard. Signed!

There’s a joint update from the major off-road groups here:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 1st, 2023

RE: Proponent: Bridal Falls Gondola Corp
Crown Land File(s): 2412430

Further to our public statement of January 18, 2023, our group has again met with the proponent of the Bridal Falls Gondola project to share our members' concerns about the proposed gates restricting access to motorized users' access in the Cheam, Chipmunk and Thurston areas. The purpose of the meeting was to clear up the misconceptions of all parties and seek positive solutions that support a continued high-value motorized recreation experience while ensuring that the proponent, and their partners, also can create the guest experience they are seeking.

Based on the information that both parties shared it is clear that an equitable solution can be found for us to support this project application, and our group now awaits written documentation from the proponent on the changes we discussed. Once received, this response will be shared publicly and reviewed against impacts on any of the existing provincial agreements that our groups may already have in place.

In the meantime, we are asking our members and riders to do the following:

 We appreciate the private citizen petition that was created and is being circulated, but it contained some misinformation that is jeopardizing our work on this project. We will be working with the organizer to clarify the wording to ensure signatures collected are based on fact.

 There has been widespread use of the term CRA or Controlled Access Area in social media. This project is not a CRA but rather an application for a non-exclusive use Commercial Recreation Tenure under the Adventure Tourism Policy. A CRA is what is used by ski hills to obtain exclusive rights on crown land that allows them to control access to the area. This is not a ski hill though it was shared that another proponent may have submitted a letter of intent to develop a ski hill in the area which is likely what is creating confusion.

o Information about CRAs can be found at:
[https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/indu ... tion-areas](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/indu ... tion-areas)

o Information about a Commercial Tenure under the Adventure Tourism Policy can be found at:
[https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/farmi ... ourism.pdf](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/farmi ... ourism.pdf)

This proposed project is a joint project that includes a large investment by local First Nations. These nations have financially invested in this project to create economic benefits for their band members long-term and to protect their heritage values in the region. We are committed to working with these nations to find solutions on this project but also to work closely with them to better understand their cultural usage in the area separately.

We are pleased to state that despite the negative media, we are at a point where all parties are committed to working together to resolve outstanding issues on the table.

Yours truly,

Chris D’Silva, President
ATVBC Quad Riders Association of BC
[email protected]

Peter Sprague, Executive Director
BC Off-Road Motorcycle Association
[email protected]

Donegal Wilson, Executive Director
BC Snowmobile Federation
[email protected]

Kim Reeves, President
Four Wheel Drive Association of BC
[email protected]

Thanks for the update