Pandemic-related Crown land access restrictions thread

[teberle]

Hi everyone,

I was thinking that it might be good to have a thread going specifically about current crown land access restrictions, given the situation.

I was out in the Ghost PLUZ yesterday, and there is a sign shortly after entering the PLUZ from the South on hwy 40 that says parking is prohibited within 1 km of a Provincial Recreation Area.

Has anyone else been out to public land and seen any new signage, law enforcement presence, been ticketed, etc. etc.? I'm hoping this will be an informational thread, rather than a debate about the wisdom or necessity of such restrictions

Apologies if a similar thread is already going. I took a look and couldn't find one.

[last minute]

Going for a drive this weekend i will see.

[Dubious]

Crown land isn’t closed. Parks are not closed either.

[WROK]

I was up in the Porcupine Hills PLUZ and the same sign was at the staging areas. I was stopped by the CO up there and he confirmed no use of the Staging areas. Crown Land is still open to the public just not the staging areas.

[Jadham]

Provincial Parks, PRA and PLUZs are closed to vehicle access and parking. They ARE open to foot traffic etc. This includes staging areas. I wasn’t sure at first about PLUZ but see it now added. Depending on the area, there are variable levels of enforcement.

I have gone several times, trying to abide by the above. But the last time got into a long, relatively cordial discussion with RCMP and received a warning ticket. This was for roadside parking (in a full pullout) in a PLUZ.

Today my daughter will be dropping me and the dog off and picking me up. Still ok to do that according to the officer.

They certainly don’t like you accessing it all though and will give you grief. I think that they think people will spontaneously fall down and need to be rescued lol. At least that is what they harp on about (rescue, first responder, etc.).

[W921]

So if I'm understanding this right, you have to own land adjacent to crown land or have permission from someone who does in order to have a place to park so that you can use crown land?

[buckman]

So can you still drive off the road say 200 meters then park/random camp as long as its not a provincial park?

[raw outdoors]

Right from the horses mouth Jason Nixon. Get out there be safe have fun, tell all the fun sponges of the world to take there ticket book and shove it.

https://youtu.be/tZ5EIjwux_0

[Jadham]

Originally Posted by W921

So if I'm understanding this right, you have to own land adjacent to crown land or have permission from someone who does in order to have a place to park so that you can use crown land?

From my understanding, a number of the roads are secondary highways and so those are not blocked. However, at least in the areas by me, the small roads going off the numbered highways all are barricaded. But yes it was mainly to allow “locals” to still enjoy the areas while preventing people from the dreaded “cities” to come out and enjoy it.

All the areas, including provincial parks, are still “open” to foot traffic, though all “facilities” are closed.

The “no vehicle access” but still having numbered highways open is misleading, but according to the RCMP officer I talked to if you don’t park and someone drops you off you are ok.

I don’t know how they would handle pulling into a random campsite on crown land.

[Grizzly Adams]

Originally Posted by Dubious

Crown land isn’t closed. Parks are not closed either.

I see the Panther River camp ground, not a provincial facility, closed anyway.

Grizz

[Jadham]

Originally Posted by raw outdoors

Right from the horses mouth Jason Nixon. Get out there be safe have fun, tell all the fun sponges of the world to take there ticket book and shove it.

https://youtu.be/tZ5EIjwux_0

Note that the minister contradicts the written information at several points. For instance, provincial parks are not closed. The facilities are closed and so is vehicle access. Also the PLUZs (which is much of the “Forest Reserve”) now have restrictions as well for vehicle access and parking.

I guess it is always best to ask the nearby CO and/or police. But just focus on what is legal vs what they want you to do.

[W921]

Originally Posted by Jadham

From my understanding, a number of the roads are secondary highways and so those are not blocked. However, at least in the areas by me, the small roads going off the numbered highways all are barricaded. But yes it was mainly to allow “locals” to still enjoy the areas while preventing people from the dreaded “cities” to come out and enjoy it.

All the areas, including provincial parks, are still “open” to foot traffic, though all “facilities” are closed.

The “no vehicle access” but still having numbered highways open is misleading, but according to the RCMP officer I talked to if you don’t park and someone drops you off you are ok.

I don’t know how they would handle pulling into a random campsite on crown land.

But you can't legally just park on the side of the road or on an approach and block it off.
I don't believe this is about covid.
Last fall I started some threads on here about grazing reserves or community pastures. Not lease land but public land that they keep changing the designation of in the south east. Some people didn't like me talking about it but this is one of their bag of tricks to keep it to themselves.

[W921]

West of longview they even dug out the ditches years ago in places where hunters used them as trail heads.
I know of government built and maintained roads with with gates across them during hunting season and this was long before covid.
Some people seem to be more equal than others. Haha the police,fish and game and the government really are there to serve you.