A Chilliwack city councillor is pledging to draw more attention and conservation resources to the rampant illegal dumping in the Chilliwack River Valley.
Coun. Jason Lum, along with Electoral Area E director Orion Engar, along with Chris Gadsden, and Terry Bodman, took a tour up the Bench Road section of the CRV, just before the Canada Day weekend.
“It’s absolutely infuriating to see the amount of spent ammo, shells, burned vehicles, and household garbage still being dumped in the Valley,” said Lum.
“Perhaps most heartbreaking was watching a beautiful black tail mother doe lead her fawn through a bunch of broken glass and shotgun shells.”
Unfortunately, this is nothing new for the CRV. But the timing is good for the ask.
City officials are about to go into meetings with their provincial counterparts at UBCM this fall, Lum said.
A number of groups have also started working collaboratively to find solutions, like the Chilliwack-Vedder Cleanup Coalition, and the Fraser Valley Illegal Dumping Alliance, and more.
There has been more awareness raised, more signage going up, and more people being ticketed for dumping garbage illegally in the back country.
Still many spots on Crown land are littered with spent shotgun shells, broken glass and carelessly dumped garbage as far as the eye can see.
Messes left behind by rural target shooters were put in the sights of the Chilliwack-Vedder River Cleanup Society last fall.
Each little pullout along the forest services road had a nest of spent shells, nails from burned pallets and assorted crap left behind when the recreational shooting or camping trip ends.
“There is no excuse for this, and quite frankly the time for excuses has long passed,” said Lum.
He said he’s looking forward to working with provincial officials, and other agencies, to “get dedicated conservation resources” for the Valley.
“It’s long overdue.”
