The new owners of sublot 18 - Ministry of Environment, The Land Conservancy, and Nature Conservancy Canada - continue their negotiations and planning for the proposed access and car park. They are hopeful that all will be ready for the Spring of 2009.

We really hope so because as of the end of this month Hugh Dunlop will no longer be the owner of the current Braesyde Farm climbers’ parking lot. Hugh has assured us that the car park will remain open until the end of this climbing year, probably the traditional October 31^st date. However, climbers do need to accustom themselves to that idea that access over the winter may be problematic.

And now to the plea.

All climbers should know by now that access to sublot 18 - the future parking lot and conservation area - is across a corridor of private land and negotiations for an easement through that corridor are not yet complete.

There has been some degree of confrontation between climbers and the new owners of sublot and the owner of the easement corridor. While negotiations on access are still being conducted, it is not the time to contest the use of adjacent crown land or whether as contributors to the purchase of sublot 18 climbers have some rights of access. There is a real risk that using the Smythe Drive extension to access sublot 18 or any of the crown land that abuts onto it will jeopardize these negotiations.

Most local climbers have now been convinced of the view that the Smythe Drive extension, through the putative easement corridor, should not be used, and that climbing on crown land within the vicinity of sublot 18 should be curtailed until access is truly and legally assured. Some will argue that there are many others who use that access at will (e.g. mountain bikers on the Rock Ovens trail). But climbers seem to be an identified and targeted group. Climbers cannot control the activities of others but it would be a tragedy if actions ascribed to climbers were to scuttle the access negotiations.

Finally a reiteration of what has happened since the purchase of sublot 18 was sealed. A road has been surveyed and site for the parking lot chosen. This will be a single-lane, paved road with passing places at strategic intervals. All involved seem to feel it is an excellent solution as its construction will cause a minimum of environmental impact. Before construction can commence the easement agreement must be settled and signed, and ideally there will be some assurance from First Nations that nothing of historical interest is at risk. Realistically, construction must start before mid-August if the road is to be ready for the following Spring.

TLC and NCC have and continue to conduct survey of the property to establish a baseline inventory of the ecological assets. The list of protected plant communities, plants, and animals found so far is lengthy. They have constantly stressed that ownership by TLC and NCC makes this private property. As landowners they may assign certain portions of that property for public use (access to a provincial park?) but that they will manage the bulk of that property for their mandated purposes (conservation).

If you are in Penticton and want to get the full scoop, see maps of the proposed car park and road, then wander down Main Street to #262 and head upstairs to the TLC office where they will try to answer whatever questions you have.

Howie Richardson