Re: [Paddlewise] BC MARINE TRAILS NETWORK - Assistance Required

 "MATT MARINER BROZE" wrote "in part"
Subject: RE: [Paddlewise] BC MARINE TRAILS NETWORK - Assistance Required


> Gathering information on campsites and widely distributing it will have 
> the
> effect of drastically increasing the number of paddlers using and abusing 
> the
> limited resources.  Keep the BC coast a
> wilderness experience, do not sell it out by revealing the campsites you 
> know
> about for the sake of taming and crowding it!


Matt raises a good point here, unfortunately it may be too late to stop the 
onset of taming the wilderness kayak experience.  Is there anyone more 
guilty of this then ourselves.  How many times have I seen 20 foot kayaks 
loaded with a ton of kit, the lap top, the four burner stove, the media 
devices, chairs strapped to decks, the solar panel and on and on for an over 
night trip.

I once traveled to a remote area that was uncontrolled for a long weekend 
camping trip.  Unfortunately for me one of the group brought along one of 
those guide books and insisted on bagging all the campsites in the area. 
She collected them like trophies.  The consequences being that instead of 
setting up a base camp and exploring the area we turned into human powered 
barges and simply barged all this stuff from one site to another.  At one 
point we became engaged in a race to the last trophy camp site against 
another set of paddlers.  How stupid.  I've never paddled with her again.

Yet I would never paddle the Welsh Coast without Jim Krawiecki excellent 
guide book.  It has information on where to camp but it's focus is on the 
paddling and the areas of interest to paddlers.

Ironically I believe a lot of this is being driven by people in the kayak 
industry who have a commercial interest in the process.  For example I'd 
like to see a full disclosure of who is involved behind this drive to create 
a BC Watertrail.  Some questions come to mind.

1. What's the relationship between these groups?
2. I know that one interested party produces a kayaking magazine that is 
used to promote the other side of the business, selling guide books and 
maps.  Is there is a relationship between this party and the form that's 
promoting this plan?
3. Is there commercial element to that relationship?
4.

I wonder who will get the contract to produce the trail guide and maps once 
the Watertrail and campsites are identified?  I'm sure of one thing it'll be 
the BC tax payer who'll pay for it.  There will be government grants to 
complete the initial work, then the organizers will apply for a grant or 
"gift", then a suitable publisher will be found, who's cost will be paid for 
from the gifted money.

That's only the start. Site development costs and operational costs will 
follow.

My finial question is:

If you support this project would you be willing to  up front the cost of 
producing the trail guides, developing the camp sites and contribute to an 
endowment fund to ensure there are sufficient funds to meet on going 
operation expenses.

Grist for the mill. Grind away.

Gordin Warner
Victoria BC 
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