Last weekend O'Grady, who is an education outreach co-ordinator with the Squamish River Watershed Society came upon some folks who had pitched their tents in an open space along the Stawamus River, near Valleycliffe. They left behind a scattering of bear-attracting litter and fish-hindering rock dams.
Local volunteers cleaned up all that they could.
"This is just a heads up to all of us who care. I can not believe the disrespect these young people have shown to the river, fish, Squamish community," O'Grady said in an email and online social media post about the campers she witnessed.
"There is no excuse — no argument against this crime against nature and Squamish."
Though he wasn't speaking of this particular situation, Sea to Sky conservation officer Tim Schumacher told The Chief whenever attractants, including empty cans of pop and beer, are left out, that spells trouble for local bears.
"Where they find those kinds of foods, it is close to people. That puts people into conflict with bears and that is when bears can get inside our homes and in our backyards and targeting our bear-resistant totes," he said.
Once the bears become used to human garbage, they will keep coming back and may have to be put down when they become a threat to people.
A fed bear, can soon be a dead bear, in their words.
O'Grady noted that while salmon aren't spawning in the river now, they soon will be; thus the rock dams could have a damaging impact.
"They are coming soon, and the young salmon, the fry and other wildlife are always around or in the river," she said.
She floated the idea of creating a group of river guardians to monitor the area closely.
"Or something similar to protect what we love and hold dear."
District’s reaction
The District of Squamish told The Chief the area along the Stawamus River on the Valleycliffe side is routinely patrolled by District bylaw officers.
Officers patrolled that area on Saturday, Aug. 14, as part of their general patrol duties.
The mess left behind that O'Grady saw was reported to the District bylaw office and officers headed to the area on the Mamquam Forest Service Road-side at the beginning of this week. By then, the mess had been cleaned up.
"Officers did note another abandoned campsite in the area and arranged for cleanup," said Rachel Boguski, the District's media relations staffer, in an emailed statement to The Chief.
"The District of Squamish, in partnership with local tourism, environmental groups, government organizations and the Squamish Nation, continues to encourage both residents and visitors to recreate responsibly by leaving no trace and packing out what you pack in, using designated washroom and campground facilities, respecting wildlife by managing attractants and obeying current campfire prohibitions," Boguski said.
"An open space is not an invitation to pitch a tent. There are over 700 campsites in Squamish where visitors can find access to amenities, including washroom facilities, and bear-proof garbage facilities. Streets, public land such as parks, parking lots and forest service roads are not campgrounds nor are they permitted for camping within the District of Squamish. Please protect our environment by keeping these areas free and clean."
To view the District's campground area map and site availability tool, go to: squamish.ca/camping.
Who to contact
To report a bylaw violation, call the District's bylaw office at 604-815-5067.
Call the Report All Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) hotline to report wildlife-human interactions where public safety may be at risk.
Call 1-877-952-7277 (RAPP) or #7277 on the TELUS Mobility Network. If the situation is not an emergency, report the incident online or contact the nearest Conservation Officer Service district office.
Open fires or illegal campfires should be called into 911 immediately. To report a wildfire call *5555 from a mobile device.
