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VICTORIA – Residents of the Okanagan and its surrounding
communities will benefit from more than $1.5 million to improve travel and
safety conditions on the 1000, 1020 and 1100 Forest Service roads, Shuswap MLA
George Abbott and Forests and Range Minister Pat Bell announced today.
“These three Forest Service Roads provide access to
Albas and Silver Beach Provincial Parks and
many more remote recreational sites,” said Abbott. “The only other practical way
to access these parks is by boat so upgrades to keep the roads open and safe
are critical for tourism and outdoor recreation opportunities.”
The funding will allow for upgrades including surfacing and brushing on 42 kilometres of the three roads.
The 1000, 1020 and 1100
Forest Service roads are officially called the Ross 1000, Celesta Creek Forest Service
road, and Celesta-Seymour Forest Service road, respectively. All three roads
access the community of Seymour Arm on the north side of
“There are more than 2,500 people in this area
in the summer and resurfacing the road will cut down on dust and debris and
improve driving conditions,”
said Bell.
British Columbia’s 55,000-kilometre network of Forest Service roads is bigger than the provincial highway system. As first announced by Premier Campbell at the 2008 Union of B.C. Municipalities convention, the Ministry of Forests and Range is providing $20 million to improve travel conditions on Forest Service roads that serve as crucial transportation links for rural communities and recreation sites. The Province of British Columbia and the Government of Canada committed on April 7, 2009, to a further $20 million in shared funding for additional Forest Service road upgrades that will be announced in the coming months.
“Communities across British Columbia told us Forest Service roads continue to provide critical transportation links as well as enhancing local economies,” said Kevin Krueger, Minister of Community Development. “This government is taking action to ensure communities like Seymour Arm have the infrastructure to keep residents safe and allow for economic development.”
New road maintenance funding is the latest in a series of initiatives to improve safety on Forest Service roads, which include the establishment of radio protocols, enforcement of speed limits through expanded use of radar guns, and the expansion of the Vehicle Identification Plates Program.
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Public Affairs Officer Ministry of Forests and Range 250 387-4592 |
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