Hello,
As a British Columbia voter, I'm contacting candidates during this provincial election to ask a straightforward question:
Where do you stand on reasonable public access to public lands?
Across British Columbia, backcountry roads provide access to areas people use for camping, hunting, fishing, recreation, exploration and other lawful activities.
The discussion around Rady Creek has helped bring attention to this issue, but the question goes far beyond one road or one community. Road deactivations and changes to backcountry access are happening in different parts of the province.
If elected, what would you do to ensure reasonable public access is considered when decisions are made about roads on public land?
I would also like to know:
- Do you support assessing the recreational and public-access value of a road before permanent deactivation?
- Do you support public consultation before high-value access routes are permanently deactivated?
- Where appropriate, would you support considering alternatives such as managed access, stabilization, rerouting or trail designation instead of complete loss of access?
I understand that these decisions can also involve public safety, environmental protection, Indigenous rights and title, and other land-management responsibilities. I would appreciate hearing how you believe those considerations should be balanced with public access.
I'm not asking for a particular answer. I want to understand where candidates stand before I vote.
If pressing Send does nothing, your browser may not have an email app attached — common on phones with webmail only. Use Copy the text and Copy the addresses, then paste both into Gmail, Outlook or whatever you use.
Everyone is blind-copied. Candidates go in Bcc so no recipient sees anyone else's address, and so your letter reads as one person writing, not a list.
Change the wording if you want to. A letter in your own words carries more weight than a hundred identical ones. The part worth keeping is the question itself.
We are not telling anyone how to answer. We are asking you to find out where they stand.
Who this goes to
| Party | Addresses | How they are addressed |
|---|---|---|
| BC NDP | 50 | Blind-copied |
| BC Conservatives | 34 | Blind-copied |
| BC Greens | 7 | Blind-copied |
| Centre BC | 1 | contact@centrebc.ca |
| OneBC | 1 | info@1bc.ca |
| Backcountry Coalition | 1 | Copied so we can count how many of these went out and follow what comes back. We never publish anyone's letter or address. |
All five questions
Five questions, one for each. Each opens in your own mail app.
- BC provincial election · you are here Where do you stand on public access to public lands? The opening question. Asks every candidate where they stand on reasonable public access to public lands.
- BC provincial election What happens to access when forestry leaves? What should happen to a resource road that industry no longer needs but the public still uses.
- BC provincial election What should be tried before access is lost? Which alternatives should be considered before a high-value access route is permanently removed.
- BC provincial election What will you do for access in the community you represent? How a candidate will make sure recreational access is weighed before local routes are closed.
- BC provincial election What is your long-term plan for backcountry access? The closing question. Asks for a province-wide, long-term plan for public access.