The Federation of Mountain Clubs of British Columbia
Accessing the backcountry one step at a time

   

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Programs

The primary role of the FMC is to deliver coordinating, advocacy, and educational services on issues that are important to its members. These services offer great direct and indirect benefits to both members and all non-motorized users of BC’s backcountry. We are acting on their behalf to preserve areas of interest for non-motorized use.  This allows our members to continue to pursue their recreational interests.  There are many thousands of people in BC who use our backcountry recreational resources and the FMC is the only organization which represents their interests.

 

Recreation and Conservation

The FMCBC may be known best for our work to protect wilderness and promote the responsible use of our backcountry. From the Sea to Sky Backcountry Forums and LRMP to the South Chilcotin Mountains, to Strathcona Park this program remains an organizational mainstay.

 

Active since 1975, the FMCBC has worked with representatives from 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.  Our strong advocacy role also promotes the protection of key wilderness areas and the creation and maintenance of BC Parks.  The FMCBC participates or provides input to several panels and planning tables such as Backcountry Forums, Stewardship Panels, Land and Resource Management Planning, and Provincial Parks Planning.  The FMCBC is invited to participate in these processes by the government and other stakeholders as we are regarded as the legitimate body representing non-motorized backcountry recreational users in BC.

 

A sample of our key Recreation and Conservation issues and projects include:

  • Participation in backcountry use planning processes and sharing accords such as the Sea to Sky Backcountry Recreation Forums.

  • Participation in Land and Resource Management Plans (LRMPs) around the Province such as the Sea to Sky LRMP and the Lillooet LRMP

  • Participation in Park Management Planning and associated management and use issues for most backcountry and mountain oriented provincial parks including Garibaldi, Tantalus, Glendenning, Mt. Robson and Strathcona. 

  • We are actively opposing new backcountry resort developments both in and outside of provincial parks including Jumbo Pass, Juliet Creek and Melvin Creek.

  • The FMC also works to protect the loss of trail and road access to Crown land and parks.

    Visit the FMC Successes page for a summary of successes and accomplishments. For updates on current Committee work read the most recent Rec and Con report.

Trails and Access
Our other core program is our trails work and advocacy. Program includes trail building and maintenance, advocating for new trail projects, networking with BC Parks, Ministry of Forests  and Ministry of Tourism, Sport and the Arts.

 

The FMC works to have BC’s hiking and climbing access trails recognized, protected and maintained.  The FMC also takes on trail building projects put forward by Fed members and supports clubs in their trail building efforts.  Our major coordination role includes working with our member clubs who provide trail maintenance activities for numerous trails around the province. All of these are no-fee, public use trails and several of them are in provincial parks. 

 

We have a good relationship with the Ministry of Environment (Parks Branch).  We also have a good relationship with the Ministry of Forests and Ministry of Tourism, Sport and the Arts, which are responsible for most other trails and locations.  The Trails Committee also developed the Adopt-A-Trail program for volunteer groups and coordinated adoptions with government agencies and municipalities.  The Adopt-A-Trail project is going strongly in the lower Mainland and Vancouver Island regions and spreading throughout the province.

 

A sample of our key Trails and Access issues and projects include:

  • Participation in the Recreation Focus Group of the Sea-to-Sky Highway improvement initiative – securing access to important trailheads and climbing areas.

  • Working with Lions Bay village council to resolve parking issues at the major trailhead accessing the Lions, Mt. Brunswick, and Mt. Harvey.

  • Participation in the District of North Vancouver Alpine Recreation Study – planning for hiking and mountain bike use.

  • Working with BC Parks, the Greater Vancouver Regional District, First Nations, and other stakeholders to plan and manage new and existing trails on Vancouver’s North Shore (i.e. “Indian Arm Trail”, Grouse Grind Trail and the Baden Powell Trail). 

  • Working with numerous governments and other stakeholders to establish the BC section of the National Hiking Trail.

Visit the FMC Successes page for a summary of successes and accomplishments. For updates on current Committee work read the most recent Trails report.

 

Outreach and Education
The FMCBC engages in education and public outreach promoting wilderness opportunities, safety, ethics, and responsible travel.  In order to inform and update members on issues and activities of interest, the FMCBC publishes and circulates the Cloudburst newsletter.  The Cloudburst is published twice annually and is additionally supported by email bulletins.

A sample of our key Outreach and Education projects include:

  • Publishing the Cloudburst newsletter.

  • Publishing the community Internet presence.

  • Establishing an effective presence in the public media.

  • Promoting wilderness safety and education.

  • Promoting member clubs.
   
 

Copyright © 2009 The Federation of Mountain Clubs of British Columbia. All Rights Reserved.
Last Modified: 10 December, 2009