ATVBC and PLUS call on B.C. government to halt Incomappleux deactivation before private property and public land access is lost
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nakusp, B.C. – June 04, 2026 – The Quad Riders Association of British Columbia (ATVBC) and Public Land Use Society (PLUS) are calling on the Government of BC to immediately halt planned bridge removals and road deactivation work on the Incomappleux Forest Service Road (FSR) before the Province permanently cuts off access to private property and public land.
On May 15, 2026, the Incomappleux stakeholder group, a coalition of property owners, recreation organizations, conservation interests, and rural British Columbians, asked Forests Minister Ravi Parmar to issue an immediate Stop Work Order on the Incomappleux FSR. The coalition raised serious concerns about access to homes, Crown land, road jurisdiction, environmental liability, mineral tenure, wildfire response, and the legal status of the road corridor, and requested a response within seven days.
Instead of providing substantive answers, the Ministry told some affected parties that work may begin as early as June 9, 2026. The Province cites public safety, but its own explanation states the road is in disrepair and there are no funds to maintain it. In separate correspondence, the Selkirk Resource District told one private landowner this summer’s work “will permanently remove road access to your private property.”
“We are shocked and disappointed that the Minister of Forests has not provided a substantive response to the coalition,” said Kristin Parsons, Executive Director of ATVBC and a lead organizer of the Incomappleux stakeholder group. “The government has now put in writing that its work will permanently remove access to private property, while also cutting off access to public land used by recreation groups and the broader public.”
A public petition to the Legislative Assembly calling for a halt to deactivation and the preservation of viable access has already gathered more than 2,000 signatures online and in-person in under 60 days.
“The government still has not clarified whether it has the authority to proceed, whether the corridor remains a public highway, or how access, Crown grant interests, legacy mine sites, and conservation monitoring will be protected,” said Warren Mirko, Executive Director of the Public Land Use Society. “Those answers must come before the Ministry of Forests permanently removes access.”
ATVBC and PLUS, on behalf of the larger Incomappleux stakeholder group, call on the Province to issue a Stop Work Order, provide written answers to the coalition’s May 15 letter, and convene an urgent stakeholder meeting.
Media Contacts
Kristin Parsons
Executive Director
ATVBC
604-832-6361
executivedirector@atvbc.ca
Warren Mirko
Executive Director
PLUS
604-612-5204
warren.mirko@publiclanduse.ca