The Wilderness Committee is urging the Capital Regional District (CRD) to maintain their ban on off-road vehicles within CRD's wilderness parks. Recently media has reported that pressure has been increasing from off-roaders who want the proposed management plan for Ayum Creek, Kapoor, Sea to Sea and Sooke Potholes regional parks amended to allow the use of off-road vehicles within the parks. Current CRD policy bans use of motorized vehicles in wilderness areas.

"We urge the Capital Regional District to stand strong for nature and to keep the motor bikes and four by four trucks out of these parks. Parks should be for nature and for people who enjoy nature, not for people to tear it up," said Joe Foy, the Wilderness Committee’s National Campaign Director.

The wilderness parks being targeted by the off-road lobby are part of the "Sea to Sea Greenbelt", a 10,000 hectare swath of wild country and parkland stretching in a crescent around Victoria from Saanich Inlet in the east to the Sooke Basin in the southwest.

The Wilderness Committee first started pushing for the protection of this backyard wilderness area back in the 1990's, publishing an education report entitled ‘Save the Sooke Hills’ in 1994. The Land Conservancy (TLC) and the Capital Regional District are currently leading the effort to add the last few protected areas needed to compete the greenbelt.

“The Sea to Sea Greenbelt is the largest area of parks in the Capital Regional District and is 90% complete. It’s an outstanding wildland close in to Victoria’s urban setting,” said Foy.

Privately owned Western Forest Products lands are currently being purchased in a partnership between TLC and CRD Parks, some of which are critical to the completion of the greenbelt. These lands form the final link between the Sooke Potholes and the Sooke Hills Wilderness area, the heart of the Sooke Hills, including, Shields, Grass and Crabapple Lakes.

“Millions of dollars and thousands of days of effort have contributed to protecting this special slice of nature. It would be tragic if just as the last critical pieces of the Sea to Sea Greenbelt were being protected, the gates would be opened to an off-road vehicle assault on the new parkland. So much off-road vehicle damage has already happened in many other parts of the province. We urge the CRD to just say NO to the off-roaders,” said Foy.

For more information please contact:
Joe Foy, Wilderness Committee, National Campaign Director 604-880-2580