The Town of Ladysmith is asking the B.C. government to help limit access to a popular recreational spot due to concerns about damage and wildfires in a watershed area.
On May 19, the town began limiting access to the Banon Creek Forest Service Road by locking the road’s gate on weekdays in an effort to curb an increase in illegal camping and dumping in the area, which is also home to two watersheds, the Banon Creek watershed and Holland Creek Community Watershed.
Access is still allowed on weekends and select statutory holidays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the area can be reached using trails made for non-motorized vehicles.
Now, the town is calling on the province to help enforce restrictions in the area.
“Gate locks have been intentionally cut and removed less than 24 hours after installation at least six times, while a newly fabricated high-security locking system has been deliberately damaged and rendered inoperable on three separate occasions,” said the town in a release Friday.
The town added that it had concerns that a wildfire or other event could cause damage to drinking water infrastructure that serves approximately 12,000 people in Ladysmith, the Stz’uminus First Nation and Saltair.
“Without timely intervention, we believe current conditions could result in a devastating but entirely preventable event,” said Ladysmith Mayor Deena Beeston.
“We cannot afford to delay action any further, and we cannot continue to accept conditions that put the residents of Ladysmith and neighbouring communities at risk.”
The town sent a letter to the province asking for help with upgrading access controls – like new security barriers, automatic gates and remote surveillance systems.
Read the full article at ChekNews: Ladysmith calls on province to help limit access to Banon Creek Forest Service Road.