August 11, 2016 – Vernon Morning Star
Calls for a camping ban along B.C.’s rivers are making waves.
The Regional District of North Okanagan board refused Wednesday to support the efforts of the Village of Keremeos, in the Similkameen, to have camping prohibited along active riverbeds.
“It could sterilize all rivers in B.C. and it seems to be more of a local issue than something that needs a draconian approach,” said Mike Macnabb, RDNO director.
Currently, provincial rules allow camping for 14 days on unregulated Crown land. But Keremeos officials say large numbers of campers are negatively impacting the environment.
“I know this strikes close to home for many regions around the province, particularly in the sunny Interior,” said Manfred Bauer, Keremeos mayor in a letter.
Catherine Lord, an RDNO director, disagrees with Keremeos’ proposal.