First Nations have secured access to the Leech River lands, but the battle to allow others — including hunters, fishers and outdoor enthusiasts — into the wilderness area is still simmering.
The Capital Regional District announced this month that directors had unanimously endorsed an agreement with the T’Souke First Nation granting access for traditional uses such as hunting and fishing.
Regional Water Supply commissioners, however, argue that the watershed needs protection and would like to close the area to others.
That’s not sitting well with some CRD directors, who note that, unlike the Sooke Reservoir Lands, the Leech area isn’t likely to be used for water supply for at least another 25 years — if at all.
As the Sooke watershed — home to the Sooke reservoir, Greater Victoria’s main source of drinking water — is already closed off to the public, blocking access to the area surrounding the Leech River would put about 20,000 hectares under lock and key.
Since 2012, access to the 8,791 hectares of Leech land — long used by people camping, off-roading, fishing and hunting — has been increasingly restricted, gated and posted as a no-trespassing area by both the CRD and forestry companies.
Capital Regional District staff note the only way to access the area now is by trespassing through privately owned forestry land.
In February, CRD directors blocked bylaw amendments brought forward by the commission that would have prohibited all recreational access to Leech River lands.
Now a half a dozen directors — representing both urban and rural areas — have introduced a motion calling on the water district to consider options for a permitting system for “responsible recreational access” to the Leech area lands.
At a recent CRD board meeting, water commission chairman Mervyn Lougher-Goodey urged board members to “err on the side of caution.”
Lougher-Goodey said he found ample evidence of beer-drinking, campfires and weapons firing during a recent trip to Weeks Lake in the Leech lands.
“All of our signs were riddled with bullet holes and one with a surprisingly large calibre,” he said.
“There was evidence everywhere of off-road ATV activities. A concern we have is a changing of the water courses, causing flooding of the few roads still in use.”
But Victoria Coun. Ben Isitt, one of the six people spearheading the access-by-permit initiative, said the current arrangement, “where the CRD doesn’t have eyes and ears up there” and doesn’t have the capacity to monitor it, leads to problems with trespassers.
“That’s where responsible hikers fishers, hunters can, I think, provide for safety,” Isitt said.
He said there is broad public interest in providing access, and notes the area is 12 kilometres from the Sooke reservoir.
“If these lands aren’t required for water supply for the foreseeable future, and they are highly valued by residents for fishing, for hiking and other types of back-country recreational pursuits, it seems reasonable that the CRD would [allow] the public to continue to use those lands in a responsible way,” Isitt said.
The CRD resolution notes that agreements for access have been negotiated between TimberWest and the Fish and Game Protective Association, with provisions that access may be prohibited during periods of high wildfire risk.
The CRD finalized the $65-million purchase of the Leech River watershed from forestry company TimberWest in 2010. The acquisition represented a 79 per cent increase in the water district’s land base
The watershed has been 95 per cent logged and has about 385 kilometres of roads.
