Province Poised to Cut Off Access to Homes, Private Property, and Public Lands in the Incomappleux Valley

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Province Poised to Cut Off Access to Homes, Private Property, and Public Lands in the Incomappleux Valley

Trout Lake, BC – July 9, 2026 – More than 70 community members, property owners, industry representatives, recreation organizations, tourism operators, and local government officials gathered in the Incomappleux Valley on Wednesday to call on the BC governmentto pause planned road deactivation and meet with those who will be directly affected.

The Ministry of Forests is expected to begin deactivation of the Incomappleux Forest Service Road within weeks, severing the only ground-access to homes, private property, mineral tenures, and recreation areas, while threatening livelihoods throughout the valley and beyond.

Stakeholders have spent months requesting meetings, proposing stewardship solutions, and inviting government officials to visit the area. The government has refused to meet, while maintaining its commitment to permanently remove access that will strand homeowners in a valley with no way out.

“We are asking the government to pause, meet with the people who use and rely on this road, and consider practical solutions that don’t permanently remove access to people’s homes, public land, and ways of life.” said Kristin Parsons, on behalf of the Incomappleux Stakeholder Coalition. “Those affected by this decision include residents, property owners, contractors, resource professionals, recreation organizations, and local governments who understand both the safety concerns and the practical solutions available. Government should sit down with us before making an irreversible decision.”

The July 8 field briefing demonstrated both the scale of the impact and the willingness of affected communities to help develop a workable solution. The Coalition is renewing its call for an immediate pause to all deactivation work until the government has met directly with stakeholders, reviewed the available engineering and stewardship options, and considered how safe public access can be maintained.

Backgrounder – July 8 Community Access Tour

More than 70 participants representing one of the broadest coalitions ever assembled around the future of the Incomappleux Valley met for a community access tour on-site in Trout Lake, BC and at the Incomappleux Forest Service Road. Representatives attended from:

• BC Wildlife Federation
• ATVBC
• BC Powersports Dealers Association
• BC Snowmobile Federation
• Four Wheel Drive Association of BC
• Association for Mineral Exploration (AME)
• Public Land Use Society (PLUS)
• Nakusp Rod & Gun Club
• Chamber of Commerce representatives
• Taranis Resources
• Trout Lake Recreation Club
• Arrow Lakes ATV Club
• Arrow Lakes Ridge Riders
• Mineral tenure holders and prospectors
• Local property owners and community members

Representatives from the Village of Nakusp and Village of Salmo attended, and support was received from Silverton, New Denver and Revelstoke. MLA Scott McInnis also participated, spending the day hearing directly from residents and stakeholders. Provincial ministers and senior ministry officials were invited but declined to attend.

What Participants Observed

The day included visits to Rady Creek Forest Service Road and SilverCup Ridge, a world-class recreation and tourism destination relied on by local community, that stakeholders say is also scheduled for deactivation later this summer without meaningful consultation.

Participants learned that local recreation organizations had offered to assume responsibility for maintaining the road but were advised those proposals would not be considered. Stakeholders also noted they have repeatedly requested meetings with government to discuss practical alternatives but have been advised that ministry officials will not meet with the Coalition.

Following the morning tour, participants gathered at the Trout Lake Community Hall before travelling to the Incomappleux Forest Service Road, where they were met by law enforcement.

Natural Resource Officers were directed to be there by Ministry staff, who themselves had declined to attend. Participants were then guided through the area by local residents and property owners.

Participants observed that much of the road remains in remarkably good condition despite receiving little or no maintenance since 2019. They also noted that the government’s primary safety concerns are concentrated within approximately the first 400 metres of the corridor, where stakeholders believe practical engineering and management solutions exist.

Throughout the tour, long-time residents, current mineral tenure holders, property owners, and local experts shared decades of knowledge about the valley, its history, and practical options that they believe could address safety concerns while maintaining access.

The Incomappleux Forest Service Road is far more than a forestry road. It is critical infrastructure supporting homes and private property, historic mining and future mineral exploration, recreation and tourism, environmental monitoring and mine remediation, search and rescue, wildfire response, and rural communities.

Government Still Has Time

Stakeholders say they remain ready to work collaboratively with the Province. They have submitted detailed correspondence, proposed stewardship models, offered partnership opportunities, invited ministers to visit the valley and repeatedly requested meetings. Speaking on behalf of the Coalition that attended the event, Kristin Parsons said the following:

“What we witnessed wasn’t just a Forest Service Road, but was the only access to people’s homes, private property, businesses, and livelihoods. Families with children live in homes dependant on the road, and we saw a community that is ready to be part of the solution, yet government continues to move toward permanent deactivation without meeting with the very people whose lives will be most affected.”

“We’re not asking government to ignore safety concerns. We’re asking them to pause long enough to sit down with us, review the practical solutions that were identified during this tour, and work collaboratively before those options disappear forever. Once the bridges are removed, there is no practical way to restore the access that exists today. That’s why we’re asking the Province to pause the work now—not after the bridges are gone.”

Coalition Renews Call for Solutions

The Incomappleux Stakeholder Coalition is renewing its call on the Province to:

• Immediately pause all deactivation work on the Incomappleux Forest Service Road.
• Meet directly with affected stakeholders before irreversible work begins.
• Undertake meaningful consultation with all affected interests, including property owners, recreation organizations, mining representatives, tourism operators, and local governments.
• Evaluate the practical solutions proposed by stakeholders to address safety concerns while maintaining responsible access.