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[chris gadsden]

No not by aliens from outer space but by the long weekend warriors.

I took a trip up along the Chilliwack River this afternoon and up as far as the Bench Road and the area was the worse I had ever seen it in years as nearly every campsite above the Tamihi River Bridge that I viewed looked like your local land fill. Some campers had put some of their garbage in bags and set beside the road or left it in their camping area. Bears and or birds had already ripped some open so they could dine on the refuse. Some small streams were littered with every thing under the sun and would be finding its way into the river.


 I brought back some garbage but it would take a small army to clean it up as there was so so much. It makes one want to give up trying to keep this once beautiful Valley clean, just let the pigs camp in this mess, it would serve them right.

[dennyman]

Got to shake your head when you hear things like this. On a side note, wasn't there a lot of talk of by local enforcement in the vallley to crack down on slob campers this long weekend. Sounds like it was just a lot of talk again with very little if any follow through.

[Geff_t]

Sounds like it is time for the city to shut down those sites and only allow camping in the camp sites that actually have someone there that runs them.

[chris gadsden]

Sounds like it is time for the city to shut down those sites and only allow camping in the camp sites that actually have someone there that runs them.

This area is in the Fraser Valley Regional District and also Crown Land gets involved so a lot of buck passing can go on here. Checked part of the area again today and was pleased to see some agency had picked up the garbage bags that were set out along the main road. Not sure if they dealt with the Bench Road area or not, I hope so.

[Fish Assassin]

Do these people live the same way at home ?

[Davis]

They have made all the roadside camp spots up to tamihi illegal,they now need to do the same above tamihi to Chilliwack lake.Setup roadblocks on long weekends to curb the partiers on their way up to the Lake.Maybe we could setup a volunteer cleanup crew to pack out the garbage after the long weekends.Give back to the community we we call home.

[jeff]

This is too bad because I have lots of people who camp along the river myself incluced and if you went there after camp was cleaned up you would have never know they were there. Just another case of a good thing being ruined by poeple who dont care. Soon there will be no camping anywhere on any river and the people who take care of the great outdoors will get the shaft again.

[chris gadsden]

They have made all the roadside camp spots up to tamihi illegal,they now need to do the same above tamihi to Chilliwack lake.Setup roadblocks on long weekends to curb the partiers on their way up to the Lake.Maybe we could setup a volunteer cleanup crew to pack out the garbage after the long weekends.Give back to the community we we call home.

Please check out the Chilliwack Vedder River Cleanup Coalition's web page at www.cleanrivers.ca

[SmokeyRiver]

Closing down all the roadside camping is not the answer. Ive been camping and fishing along there for years and only in the last 6 years has it seems it's really become a major problem  Steep tickets need to be issued which means we need someone who actually patrols up there more then once a year... if we all start thinking of closing it down right away it is just another freedom taken away from us (The Sportsman). If we start thinking close everything down to camping it will have a snowball effect which who knows where it will end.

[Rodney]

Posting these for Chris.

[Fish Assassin]

Are those bullet holes in the sign ?

[bcguy]

I agree with SmokeyRiver. If we cant shame people into picking up after themselves, then its time to make them pay, to the point of breaking them,thousands of dollars, not just a hundred or two, but a fine that would be spread across a few paychecks, or makes your savings take a real hit. I really hate fines myself, but like the guy in the slow lane said, hey I dont care...I dont speed.
To further the enforcement, the salary of the individuals patrolling could be paid from the fines easily. It works for ICBC, why not the Enviroment Ministry.
But to be fair, regarding the littering issue, its pretty much like this any where there is little or limited enforcement.
Alot of people are pigs, and only really care about thier own needs or wants, which usually means, they are going to be just plain LAZY. You should have seen Jones Lake last year after grad...it just makes you want to cry...well that or maybe just angry enough to stock them back to thier private residences and leave all the crap on thier front lawn...not that I would ever do that...

[chris gadsden]

Are those bullet holes in the sign ?

Yes, it was a sign explaining about a steelhead spawning channel in the area. It was on a post that was chopped down as well. The area is littered with shotgun shell casing.

The article below was written before the long weekend. The authorities say at the start of the first long weekend every year they are going to crack down but the RCMP, Provincial Conservation Service, Foresty Service and Park Wardens do not have enough personnel because of budget cutbacks to try to control this.

Chilliwack Progress
‘Zero tolerance’ for booze this weekend in the Fraser Valley
 



  By Robert Freeman - Chilliwack Progress


Published: May 14, 2009 1:00 PM


1 Comment BC parks, forests and campsites in the Chilliwack area will be crawling with cops this long weekend patrolling on foot, bikes, ATVs and squad cars to enforce “zero tolerance” for liquor.

Members of a special seasonal enforcement team will also be patrolling the lakes and rivers in the area.

“The biggest concern isn’t our local people,” RCMP Const. Lea-Anne Dunlop said Wednesday, but student grads and holidayers from outside the Fraser Valley who haven’t got the message.

Some visitors feel they can “just let go” because they are out in a remote area and no one is watching them, said park manager Dale Green.

“But they are being watched and will be dealt with as often as we can,” he warned.

Dunlop said all visitors to the area can expect to be checked for alcohol.

“Alcohol is the single largest problem we see in our recreation areas,” she said, and booze often leads to violence, accidents on area roads and waters, and other criminal activities like theft.

“We’re doing this for your safety, and the safety of other visitors,” she said. “We want people to come here, but we want it to be a family-friendly place.”

The enforcement team includes forestry and park employees, several Citizens On Patrol groups and RCMP officers. Team members will be patrolling areas around Chilliwack Lake, Chilliwack River Valley, Harrison Lake, Hope and Boston Bar.

There is an overnight camping ban between the Vedder Bridge and Tamihi Bridge on the Chilliwack Lake Road. Vehicles parked in this area between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m. will be towed away.

Last year, 5,000 visitors packed day-use areas of Cultus Lake on the May long weekend and 600 more stayed in the park’s campsites.

rfreeman@theprogress.com

[Fish Assassin]

So how many people were charged with alcohol violations ? I'm sure they were a few.

[oddjob]

You always hear what the maximam fine for littering is but do they ever get the max , usually just a slap in the wrist . They will keep on doing it until it hits them hard in the pocket .