More groups are adding their voices to the fight to stop a section of the Kettle Valley Railway Trail from being permanently decommissioned this spring.
The Back Country Horseman Society of British Columbia published an open letter on Monday, and the Quad Riders ATV Association of BC published one on Tuesday.
The provincial government announced at the start of February that a 67-kilometre stretch of the trail between Princeton and the Coquihalla Highway would be decommissioned.
The section has been closed due to extensive flood damage since 2021, and would cost $60 million to repair.
The province said they plan to start decommissioning the trail in the spring, which is expected to take two to three years, at an estimated cost of $20 million.
Both Mayor Spencer Coyne and local MLA Donegal Wilson shared open letters responding to the announcement, sharing their concerns that there was no meaningful consultation with the town or neighbouring communities.
Mayor Coyne said he is waiting to hear back from the ministry, and in the meantime, directs interested people to sign the petition online here.
Coyne started up a Save the KVR Facebook group, along with an online petition, requesting that “the province collaborate with local communities and stakeholders to explore alternative solutions, including phased repairs, partnerships, and community-based stewardship models.”
Read the full article here: https://www.castanet.net/news/Penticton/599689/BC-recreational-groups-pushing-back-over-Princeton-area-KVR-Trail-section-closure