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 About Us
The
FMCBC is a federation of
mountain and outdoor recreation clubs representing
most regions of British Columbia.
Its membership of approximately 3500 includes hikers, climbers,
mountaineers, backcountry skiers and snowshoers. As
a registered BC Society and federal charity the FMCBC is funded by
membership dues and donations. It also receives grants from public
agencies and private organizations for specific projects. The FMCBC
offers third-party liability insurance to member clubs.
 Vision
British
Columbia’s backcountry is shared amongst all recreational users in a
way that self-propelled users have reasonable access to an enjoyable
experience
Mission
To
advocate for safe, self-propelled activities (such as hiking,
mountaineering, backcountry skiing, snowshoeing, trail running and
other backcountry activities) and the protection of BC’s backcountry
for current and future generations to experience
 Purpose
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To
represent clubs and the public interested in non-motorized
backcountry recreation in BC, and to advise and take action on
their behalf in matters which may impact their recreation
experiences
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To make
recommendations to government and non-government organizations
regarding the protection of and access to BC’s backcountry and
trails
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To
encourage self-propelled backcountry recreation, and to promote
low impact and safe practices
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To
promote the development and maintenance of a systems of trails
in BC
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To
promote the sound management and preservation of BC’s
backcountry recreation resources
Strategic Plan:
Board of Directors
(click on each name to see
bios & photos):
|
2011-2012 FMCBC Executive and Directors |
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Scott Webster,
President |
Dave King,
CR & ACC-PG |
Dave Perfitt,
NVOC |
Caroline Clapham,
Vice
President, ACC-Van |
Don
Hay,
COC |
David Lavery,
OC |
Patrick R.
Harrison,
Secretary, Hike BC |
Ken Rodonets,
CDMC |
Mike Stewart,
VOA |
|
Elisa Kreller, Treasurer |
Roy Howard,
FHA |
Eric
Burkle,
VITIS |
|
Brian Wood,
Past President, BCMC Co-Director |
Bill Perry,
IMR |
Francis St. Pierre,
BCMC Co-Director |
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Rob Gunn,
AVOC |
Peter
Oostlander,
KMC |
Erica Lay,
UBC VOC |
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Michelle Hall, SFU |
Travis Carter,
MRBS |
Dean Pollack,
BOC |
|
Peter Rothermel,
Van. Isle. Regional Director |
Andrew
Pape-Salmon,
VISTA |
Mack Skinner/Cristina
Jacob, NSH |
|
Andrew
Pape-Salmon,
ACC-VI |
Karl Stevenson,
FOSP |
Joseph Wong,
VRCG |
 Director
Responsibilities and Volunteers:
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Fundraising: Elisa Kreller
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Outreach/Communications: Caroline Clapham, Bill Perry, Jay
MacArthur, Kayla Stevenson, Patrick Harrison
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Insurance:
Monika Bittel, Mack Skinner, Scott Webster, Brian Wood, Peter
Rothermel
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Website: Kayla Stevenson (web administrator) Scott Webster
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Strategic
Planning: Brian Wood, Scott Webster, Patrick Harrison, Andrew
Pape-Salmon, Dave Wharton, Elisa Kreller, Eric Burkle, Mack
Skinner, Patrick Lloyd, Rodney Edwards
Programs & Committees
The FMCBC has three core programs to deliver coordinating, advocacy,
and educational services on issues that are important to its members
and all non-motorized users of British Columbia's backcountry:
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Recreation & Conservation
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Trails & Access
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Outreach & Education
The Recreation & Conservation and Trails & Access programs are
coordinated and carried out by regional committees. The committees
are formed by dedicated volunteers from across the province who work
countless hours on issues that often take years or even decades to
resolve.
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Vancouver Island: Peter Rothermel (chair)
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Central
Interior: Dave King (chair)
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Kootenays: Doug Brown (chair)
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Southwest BC (Recreation & Conservation): Monika Bittel & Brian
Wood (co-chairs), Patrick Lloyd, Lesley Bohm, Evelyn
Feller, Michael Feller, Bryce Leigh, Scott Webster, Scott
Nelson, Alex Jenkins, Erica Lay, Viire Daniels
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Southwest BC (Trails & Access): Alex Wallace and Patrick
Harrison (co-chairs), Jack Bryceland, John Coope,
Louise Irwin, Gabriel Mazoret, Dave Wharton, Perry Kulak
In the Recreation & Conservation program, committees work
with representatives from the provincial government, land and
resource industries and commercial recreation to resolve conflicts
with other users and stakeholders such as heli-skiing, snowmobile
use, logging and mining. The FMCBC's strong advocacy role also
promotes the protection of key wilderness areas and the creation and
maintenance of parks in BC. The FMCBC participates or provides input to
several panels and planning tables such as Stewardship Panels, Land
and Resource Management Plans, and provincial parks planning. The
FMCBC is invited to participate in these processes by the government
and other stakeholders as it is regarded as the legitimate body
representing non-motorized backcountry recreational users in British
Columbia.
 In the Trails & Access program, the committees' work includes
trail access, trail building and maintenance, advocating for new
trail projects, networking with BC Parks, the Ministry of Forests
and Range, and the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts. The
FMCBC works to have British Columbia’s hiking and climbing access
trails recognized, protected and maintained. The FMCBC also takes on
trail building projects put forward by its members and supports
clubs in their trail building efforts. The FMCBC developed the
Adopt-A-Trail program for volunteer groups and coordinated adoptions
with government agencies and municipalities.
In the Outreach & Education program, the FMCBC promotes
wilderness recreation opportunities, safety, ethics, and responsible
travel. In order to inform and update members and the public on
issues and activities of interest, the FMCBC publishes and
circulates the
Cloudburst newsletter. The
FMCBC also publishes a community presence through its website and
establishes an effective presence in the public media through
interviews and written statements.
 History
The FMCBC was founded in 1971, based on a predecessor organization
called the Mountain Access Committee. Mountain Access Committee was
originally founded in 1963 by a number of Vancouver-area
mountaineering and hiking clubs for the expressed purpose of trail
construction. Access to various areas were improved and the use of
those areas promoted - both to club members and to the public.
Since 1971 the
FMCBC has grown to a provincial umbrella organization representing
clubs from around British Columbia. The FMCBC was incorporated as a
Non-profit Society in 1973. It is a registered charitable society,
and is the recognized 'sport-governing' body for mountaineering and
related activities in British Columbia.
In 2011 the FMCBC will celebrate 40 years of serving the hiking and
mountaineering community. During those years the FMCBC has had
many successes through the
dedication and hard work of volunteers.
Photo credit: Photographer unknown
Partnerships
The FMCBC is a member of the
Outdoor Recreation Council.
This relationship facilitates coordination and communication with
other recreational user groups such as horseback riders,
snowmobilers, mountain bikers and four-wheel drivers.
The FMCBC is a member of the
Canadian
Avalanche Centre which provides regularly updated reports
on avalanche and weather conditions in our main recreation areas.
The website is an incredible resource of information and
instructional courses on backcountry safety.
The FMCBC initiated and now supports Hike BC, which coordinates the
development of the British Columbia section of the
National Hiking Trail.
The National Hiking Trail is the original footpath from coast to
coast that was started in 1971.
The FMCBC partners with
Bivouac,
the Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia, on issues such as reporting
incidents with snowmobiles or other off-road vehicles. If you
experience any infractions or see any damage or unsafe behaviour,
please report it on this site.
Bivouac also has a page for the
public to list problems relating to road
and trail access to parks, and to
list examples of deterioration of recreational infrastructure within
parks such as trails, bridges,
toilets
etc.
The FMCBC also works actively with BC Parks, the Ministry of Forests
and Range, and the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts in
trail and site management and stewardship activities.
With the exception of government
departments, all our partners rely more and more on membership fees
and donations as government funding is
not
available or is unreliable.
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