Backroad Bandit?

This is a rant. Indulge me, I've got a point.

A couple of us tried to get to an old disused Gold Mine on Mount Decosmos, but the logging company, seemingly arbitrarily, flexed their muscles and closed the gate adjacent to second lake, cutting off entirely, any access to the Nanaimo Lakes and areas beyond.  Essentially this access is the only way in for many people to access the backcountry between Port Alberni, Carmanah, Nitnat and the Cowichan Valley.  We were informed that for the princly fee of $500 we could obtain a key to what should, in my opinion, be public purview anyway.  It turns out that for your $500 dollars you agree to a huge list of draconian restrictions and demands which ensure that if you caught breaking them, you lose your key and your money. 

People in the UK complain that a river bank is private and you must join a club to fish it, and Canadian's look down their noses at this.  That's ironic, because most of Vancouver Island is now privately owned and off limits to the general public from Monday to Friday, week in and week out.  It's private.  And you can't join a club to explore it.  It's off limits.  That includes all the lakes, rivers, mountains, views, trails, roads, fresh air, tranquility; in fact, all the extensive freedoms and pleasures that the natural history in this part of the world can offer.   

Now it appears that on weekends the Vancouver Island backroads are arbitrarily off limits too.  It's a little known fact outside of the Island that the logging companies own "our" island, including the mineral rights, lock, stock and barrel.  I'm not going into the politics of it, but foreign ownership of Canadian crown land is, in my opinion, the bizarre bi product of corporate greed, with more than  a dash of political lobbying, a heavy dose of baksheesh, and a lot of self-serving profit to boot.  I wonder how many politicians okayed this and had stock or interests in one of the many logging companies involved in this scheme over the years?  Yeah, I wonder.  Can you spell conflict?  Conflict of interest; conflict of the public interest?  Conflict of moral obligation...

The Liberal Provincial Government is responsible for privatizing lands that forest companies once held under forest licence tenures.  In 2005, Rich Coleman, then provincial forest minister, transferred lands from tree farm licences to private forest companies, removing provincial control.  Since then all unlicensed private vehicles are banned from any forestry road and access to any of the lands.

In Nanaimo Timber West's response is "We're private landowners and we want to keep track of who's on our lands," said Sue Hendell, TimberWest spokeswoman.

Except they aren't your lands, Timber West.  They're ours.  The government had no right to give you the land lock, stock and barrel; it wasn't theirs to give.

But she goes on:

"Where the group has appropriate liability insurance and meets some basic criteria, we're more than happy to entertain requests for access to some TimberWest lands," Hendell said.

Although Hendell said groups wanting to off-road on Timberwest land can apply to do so, a staff member at the Nanaimo office said no application process exists to access the lands.

Hendell clarified to say, "On a case-by-case basis we are open to entertaining requests for access."

Smoke and mirrors.

The logging companies will hold up all sorts of quasi-truths in defence of their heavy-handed access restrictions.  They will cite dumping, forest-fire dangers, and liability for death, or accident to hikers, bikers, quadders, or off roaders.  And they have a point, to a degree.  There are idiots who routinely dump their waste in the outback from mattresses to cars and back again.  And if they're caught, they should be heavily fined and their vehicle confiscated, permanently.  And there are times when the forest fire danger is so high that they may have cause to shut areas for short periods of time.  I have no problem with that, except of course, often the reason for elevated forest fire danger is that the forest companies practice monoculture, high density cultivation and put out any small fire they see.  This all leaves a potential powder keg every summer all because it's more profitable to do "farm" our forests like that.  Damn the animals.  Damn the public.

Liability? They've dealt with that: no registered vehicle with license plate?  No insurance?  No access, the gate guards police that.

Except to a large degree all of those reasons basically smoke and mirrors diverting us from the real reason.  After all, it's easy to catch dumpers: offer a small reward, post frequent signs up with telephone numbers that can be called in event of anyone spotting a potential dumper. It's an easy (cheap!!) alternative to closing off the entire island to everyone  because of a few mindless numlocks who never got the "Don't litter talk" from mummy.  How many thousands or millions of dollars in equipment cost and man hours do the logging companies spend digging tank traps, installing gates, re-installing gates and policing roads?

Forest fires?  I wish there were more.  If there were, ironically the forest would be healthier (monoculture sucks) and less likely to burn out of control in the first place.  But that's just not economically feasible!  Only it is.  

Truth is, logging companies just can't be bothered, and the easiest cheapest option for them is to shut everyone out. To them Vancouver Island is their resource-rich profit margin.  It's their commodity to use as they see fit; the less interference the better. 

Except we know that it's never a good idea for corporations to govern themselves.  Enron anyone?  Esso?  Meat inspections anyone? Independent aircraft maintenance inspectors - apparently not necessary; the companies can police themselves, and we can trust that they won't put the almighty dollar before your child's life, or my right to roam, right? 

Yeah, right.  

When the logging companies keep you and me out, then who's left to upload pictures to Google Earth/Panoramio showing how they flagrantly log illegally, either clear-cutting huge swaths off the side of mountains so that soil erosion washes everything away; or logging right up to the edge of lakes and rivers which get silted up and become sterile and devoid of life?    Replanting?  What a joke, as Andy and I have frequently noted: logging a-plenty; replanting not so much! 

But you can't blame them: the government itself isn't replanting either (the same government that gave the lands to their rich friends in the first place), so how can the logging companies be held accountable if the Provincial Liberals under Christy "Cheesy Smile" Clark isn't replanting either?  But don't take my word for it, how about reading the BC Auditor General's Report from February 2012?  Damning stuff!! 

Nope, there's only one solution: I'm going to keep sneaking in whenever, wherever, and however I want.  Does that make me a criminal?  I expect in the same way that corrupt government official or profit-driven corporate-cowboy is a criminal in my eyes.  It's criminal to restrict vast chunks (vast!) of Vancouver Island to its inhabitants: the island is ours; not some CEO in Aukland's or Portland, Oregon.

Screw them!