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Kristina Wheeler photos
Pay It Forward
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Kristina Wheeler photos
Pay It Forward
There’s no “I” in team.
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Kristina Wheeler photos
Pay It Forward
Our true colours – mud, red and black.
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Kristina Wheeler photos
Pay It Forward
Framing our future.
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Kristina Wheeler photos
Pay It Forward
Keeping recreation sites clean.
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Kristina Wheeler photos
Pay It Forward
Measure twice, cut once.
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Kristina Wheeler photos
Pay It Forward
Fun for the whole family.
Story & photos by Kristina Wheeler
Ensuring Public Access to Public Land
To say that dirt roads run through my veins would be an understatement. I was raised in a world where you fell logs to cover up the marsh to drive over it in the BJ40, deep in the heart of abandoned mine country where my father was seeking his fortune from veins of gold. I was lucky enough to know the freedoms of never wearing shoes, running winch line as soon as I could walk, and fishing for salmon in the rivers next to the cabins we frequented.
Here in BC, we are extremely privileged to have access to off-road areas that many take for granted; however this does not come free. We have a requirement to give back to our outdoor community more then we take, or we will lose it. Access to the areas that we value most is constantly at risk of landing behind gates and private property lines. Time and time again we hear the cries of those that do not understand how the errors of the few do not reflect the behaviours of the majority.
Although there are many ways to give back to our wheeling community, I choose to volunteer with the Four Wheel Drive Association of BC (4WDABC). They work on behalf of the off-road community (both individuals and clubs) at a government level to ensure public access to public land. Our goal has been simple, to bring the wheeling family of BC together as one voice, and make a difference to ensure that we maintain our access.
Over the last five years, as part of an amazing team of volunteers, we have accomplished what many thought would be impossible, the first few that come to mind are:
- Building the Hale Shelter
- Rebuilding the Nahatlatch Forest Fire Lookout
- Renovating the Mount Lavina Fire Lookout
- Taking on responsibility for over ten Recreation sites in BC to ensure they, and the roads leading to them, stay open. These include Lodestone, Hale, Sunrise, Kenyon, Francis and others
- Hosted over 20 maintenance runs per year to various recreation sites; not only teaching people to wheel safely and responsibly, but also maintaining the recreation sites through garbage pick-up, repainting picnic tables, repairing outhouses, etc.
- Negotiated the Eagle Mountain Key gate access program in Coquitlam
- Hosted ten clean ups at Stave Lake pulling out over 200 tons of garbage from an important watershed
- Hosted two runs for Big Brothers and Sisters, and one for Burn victims
Through these efforts, we have managed to build a positive reputation, on very important levels. These include BC Parks and Rec, Chilliwack Recreational Advisory Group, District of Mission, Thunder Mountain Raceway and numerous other parties that now seek out the opinion and assistance of wheelers when moving forward with plans that can impact the off-road community. We even have the news channels now contacting us for other side of the coin when they’ve heard a “bad story”. Our most recent large win, was obtaining a block of land at Stave Lake to build a Motor Vehicle Park.
This helps ensure that we don’t lose the privileges/access to our tens of thousands of kilometres of dirt roads. These include both our local trails, as well the more rugged destination such as Poison, Churn, Teseko Lakes, Alexander McKenzie, Molybdenite and many more. Without giving back to our outdoor community we are at a high risk of losing these precious locales.
There are many other ways to give back, the 4WDABC is simply one them, and I encourage you to find one near you where you can show the true heart of the off-road community. Joining an association, like the 4WDABC or any other provincial association, helps you build a solid family of like-minded individuals. A family where you get to share your stories and common goals, build memories that will last you a life time, and evolve your skills as an avid off-roader in a safe environment.
For more information on how to join the 4WDABC, please visit our website at www.4wdabc.ca.