Whereas, as a result of the success of recent provincial tourism marketing strategies, there has been an unprecedented increase in the number of visits to local provincial parks and recreation sites Provincial Recreation Assets, including Joffre Lakes Provincial Park and Strawberry Point Recreation Site in Electoral Area C of the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District SLRD and Porteau Cove Provincial Park in Electoral Area D of the SLRD; And whereas the increased number of visits is straining the current infrastructure of the Provincial Recreation Assets, both in terms of the capacity of: - visitstraffic that can be accommodated on a dailyother basis; and - current levels of staffing, maintenance and enforcement to manage the increased visits; And whereas the increased number of visits is also impacting wildlife and contributing to a heightened wildfire risk: Therefore be is resolved that the Province of British Columbia: a commensurate with the increased number of visits being driven by provincial tourism marketing strategies, provide additional funding to increase staffing, maintenance and enforcement operations in respect of existing Provincial Recreation Assets; and b investigate the development and addition of new recreation assets to the existing inventory of Provincial Recreation Assets such that the increased number of visits may be spread over a larger inventory of Provincial Recreation Assets.
Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development Campsite expansion was launched in November 2016 with an investment of 22.9 million to add more than 1,900 new campsites, between BC Parks and Recreation Sites and Trails BC, within five years. Over 1,000 of those campsites will be in recreation sites. The expansion is provincial in scope but targeted at the highest demand areas. As a result of the growing demand for camping opportunities in the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District, Recreation Sites and Trails BC has recently completed construction and improvements to 45 campsites. Plans are also in progress for an additional 110 new campsites over the next 3 years. Recreation Sites and Trails BC has hired additional Recreation Technicians to assist with increased recreation interest in the Lower Mainland and the Okanagan areas. Identifying and drawing visitors to parts of the province that have surplus capacity, and could benefit economically from more tourism, is part of the overall strategy.