ORC working for us!

Wow! This is one example of why it is important for BCHBC to be an active member of ORC. Check out the links! Thank you to Louise Pedersen for all her work on behalf of the recreation sector.

Rose Schroeder

Hello ORCBC members,

It was great to see so many different member organizations represented at the roundtable event on Thursday – thank you for coming along.

We discussed insurance, Forest and Range Practices Act amendments, access and a few other things.

We discussed setting up two working groups:

• One that will look at insurance for recreation groups. Deliverables would be a one-pager that explains the typical policies for nonprofits (you are in luck – this work is likely already done – see here), discuss training/education needs and whether we want to approach Capri CWM for a better premium and conditions for ORCBC members (given that 1/2 of the survey respondents already use the company). If you’re interested in joining, let me know.
• Loss of recreational access to land remains the top concern for most of our members. What are the specific barriers, and how can they be resolved? We need a dedicated working group that can undertake a thorough problem analysis, including building an understanding of how legislation, policies, and land-use practices impact recreational access. Likely, we will also need some external support for this, so I will run it by the ORCBC board of directors. If you are keen on being part of a future access working group, get in touch with me.

A few months back, some of you met with Ian Moore, a lawyer we work with, to discuss issues and concerns related to BC’s forestry legislation, including the new amendments (Forest Statutes Amendment Act, 2021 and the Forest Amendment Act, 2021). He has created a memo for ORCBC, which our board of directors will discuss later this month. I have set up a meeting with senior staff at the Chief Forester’s Office to start a conversation about how ORCBC can help shape the regulations that will put the new amendments into force. I will keep you posted.

Tackling issues in a piecemeal fashion isn’t ideal. Ultimately, I think we (the organized outdoor recreation sector) should consider developing an outdoor recreation strategy (see example here) that identifies issues, opportunities, goals and priorities that we can all work towards. We will need external support to do this, and it will likely cost $15-$20,000 (the cost for the strategy in the example above). ORCBC does not have a budget for this. If you, too, believe this is a priority, maybe there’s a way to do some crowdfunding. Let’s have a discussion about this at the next roundtable event.

Just finishing up with a quick update. ORCBC’s main priorities this year are to move the BC Trail Fund project forward, work with partners to undertake new outdoor recreation research (participation and economic/non-economic value), influence the development of FRPA regulations to better acknowledge and protect outdoor recreation resources on Crown land, and develop resources for the outdoor recreation sector on how to establish and maintain relationships with Indigenous Peoples. These priorities all work to achieve the goals in our 2021-25 strategic plan. We will be looking for your help to make these priorities happen.

Have a good rest of your weekend. Send me a note if you have any questions or feedback.

All the best wishes,

Louise Pedersen Executive Director | Outdoor Recreation Council of BC