pitt polder closure

[longshotz]

The access road to the south part of Pitt Polder is now gated closed and public denied access because of dumping and debris, according to the municipal hall in P. Meadows following my inquiries today (Wed,)
This was in response to a request from the land owners adjacent to now closed Koerner road, concerned about the dumping.
It is unfortunate that this has been lost, but shows what must be done to protect what access we as hunters have left.
Although it is not us (I hope!!!) it behooves us to perhaps cart out someone else s trash so as to mitigate the chance of this type of closure from happening.
Don't get complacent on the issue of lost access. It can happen at any time to anywhere we hunt and any convenient excuse is all that is needed, given the mindset against all things hunting and shooting.
More to the point, it serves to illustrate that diligence on our part is of paramount importance if we want to continue to have access to open areas to pursue our passion.
Watch the regs.
Pack out (your) trash, even if it is not yours.
Mind your P&Q's if you should encounter non-hunters on your outings.

[overunder]

first time so here's the joke. why did the the blonde steal the police care? because on the back she saw 911 and thought it was a porsche... i know bad, any way i am responding to this one cause its a personal p.o for me when i see this happen in a hunting fishing natural setting. i have seen tons of " growing crap "not to mention hauled out hunters and fishers leftover's countless times. we are losing our ability to say we respect the outdoors when ignorant outdoorsmen leave thier crap behind. just pick up your crap. anyway enough bitchin. the fat ducks are starting to show up now.

[Dano]

A lot of the garbage is grow op crap. Rather than police the area out there, it's cheaper for the municipality/province to just shut off access. Of course the slobs just dump it someplace else, like the guy who dumped his boat just up from the golf course and spray painted "Free" on it.... Or like today when the gate which accesses the Grant narrows near Pitt lake had bags of crap piled up beside it. The powers that be won't pay up to patrol or police an area because of the cost involved so they shut areas down to all users (same as when there is a problm with guys snagging fish. Shut down the fishery rather than spend money to police it....).
Then as a topper, this is fairly new to the Pitt marsh:

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa264/Canso_Dan/sign.jpg

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa264/Canso_Dan/sign1.jpg

We don't have many public areas left in the lower mainland, this kind of vandalism and guys dumping garbage will make it easier for the anti's to present a case against us.
Longshotz, do you think access to the south road can be obtained if we get a group together to go to a council meeting? Are there other avenues we can use to get access back?
Being able to hunt in the lower mainland is a privilage we can't afford to lose. Like Longshotz said, clean up after yourself and others and keep an eye out for anyone out there that could be dumping or is engaged in illegal activities out in your area. Report them!
Dan

[pmj]

Then as a topper, this is fairly new to the Pitt marsh:

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa264/Canso_Dan/sign.jpg



That one really hurts. I can only shake my head in disbelief. I think I will make an effort to be out there more often just even on drives to keep an eye out for people doing this kind of crap. Once taken away it is hard to get it back.

The grow ops and meth labs are some of the trash problems. If you are picking up someones garbage watch out for the dangerous chemicals from the meth labs that may be in the garbage.

It does not help that Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows do not have garbage pick up. Every street that runs north of Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge has garbage piles at the end of them:mad:.

[Steeleco]

If you sell the local council on an HBC and other local interest groups, cleanup, as the fellows did in Ladner, I'm sure we could rally up a few helpers.

I'd be in and can bring a trailer so long as they'll let us dump for free!!!

[blindman]

I'll volunteer to help if it gets to that point.

[ruger#1]

They are talking about making stave lake a watershed in 15 years. So get ready for gates there also.

[dabat]

First timer, so here it is. What is the difference between brocolli and boogers? Kids eat boogers. This topic also really gets me. Like Steeleco, I'm in with truck and trailer, so long as I can dump it somewhere.

[308BAR]

I haven't been out on the marsh much only two times thus far in two years of hunting. Still trying to get the hang of it, and I would hate to loose a local hunting oppurtunity. If someone does organize something with the council please put me down as a volunteer and a advocate for this area I would make a big effort to attend any meeting.

Maybe the BCWF, or Delta Waterfowl(BC chapter?) could be involved as well?

[Angus]

Sign me up for any cleanup of the area.

[field marshal]

Some years back an anti group tried to close Cowichan Estuary.
We banded together and formed an action plan!
We informed C.V.R.D. we were well represented with concerned waterfowlers. Any steps on their part to hold meetings to shut shooting
down, would be met with a well prepared summary of facts regarding
this issue. We got M.O.E. backing us as well!! Needless to say we never
heard another PEEP from the anti's:mrgreen:. So get M.O.E. on board and be very
well prepared!!!
Very best of luck!!!
Cheers Field Marshal.

[f350ps]

Some years back an anti group tried to close Cowichan Estuary.
We banded together and formed an action plan!
We informed C.V.R.D. we were well represented with concerned waterfowlers. Any steps on their part to hold meetings to shut shooting
down, would be met with a well prepared summary of facts regarding
this issue. We got M.O.E. backing us as well!! Needless to say we never
heard another PEEP from the anti's:mrgreen:. So get M.O.E. on board and be very
well prepared!!!
Very best of luck!!!
Cheers Field Marshal.
That is excellent advice!! K

[longshotz]

Thanks for all the postings of support here on this issue.
Rest assured I am looking at options here to pursue this further.
It is my personal opinion that an informal "group of stewards" for the marsh be formed in the very near future. This may help prevent further closures of the type that has shut out the south part of the marsh.
With Christmas, and all that goes with, it just days away, I will plan for a new year, post season kick off on this issue of stewardship.
Stay tuned for more to follow on this issue.
Keep the support guys and gals.

Longshotz

[Buck]

Count me in.I wonder if access to keys at PM city hall would be a good idea for the South gate as it would keep out the dumpers and thieves.There was a similar program in place for Chehalis Lake awhile back

[longshotz]

Further on the closure to date.
I spoke to Rick Evans at Pitt Meadows as to obtaining a key for access.
"No".
Not unexpected for reasons that are perfectly sound and logical, and which I won't bore you with here. If you want to know, I will be glad to tell you....PM me.
What is important here is what we can do, both as a group and as individuals, to reopen the marsh.
Yes, I know it is to late for this year, so respectfully, spare me the tears in your beer and the bitchin' grumblin'and complainin' about the whole thing. THANKS A BUNCH PEOPLE! 'Preciate it
Not to get wordy here so I will keep this to the point,
I am a member of the exec. of Mission Rod and Club and one of our board members also sits on the exec. board of the BCWF zone 2 Lower Mainland region.
I will be going this route to pursue this further.
At some juncture we will be calling on those who are intimately familiar with the marsh for input etc.
In the meantime bear with me and be patient.
In the end I am confident of an outcome in our favor.
But only with your support!
With the season near end I hope you all had a productive one and I will from time to time post developments herein.

Lonshotz

[Gunner]

Good work and good luck Longshotz! Gunner

[Dano]

Thanks for doing the follow up with Pitt Meadows municipal hall. To be clear though, there is no closure in the Pitt Marsh as of yet, just the access road closure. But think of it, if they shut off our access, it adds up to closing the marsh!
We have only one direct access point to this section of the marsh, otherwise one has to travel on the north section and move their boat and equipment over a dyke and into the south section.
There's a lot wrong with this road closure, first, it's a public road! Second, the guy requesting the closure has a key, and lastly (at least the last one I'll submit for now) we have had Pitt Meadows council close sections of dyke all around the Pitt area to discharge of firearms and they shouldn't be closing access to an area that is far enough away from dyke walkers and the general public. This is an area we can hunt and not have to deal too much with anti's or people concerned about guns discharging in the area.
Don't get me wrong though, Pitt Meadows council isn't anti-hunting. For this reason I believe we will be able to get this gate opened back up.
Longshotz, let us know if there's a council meeting we can attend soon or whenever you need a group to support you at a meeting. I'm sure we will have a strong turnout!
Dan

[Recordram]

Count me in for support. Keep everyone up to date in the New Year to help with support.

[xian]

I'd be glad to help get some of that crap out of there, for years I worked in the park at the boat launch at the end of the road and every day on the way in I would load as much stuff as I could from the side of the road
in to my car and dump it in the dumpster in the park. Dan you are right, they can't be bothered to police the area, I used to ask why the never cleaned up and the Pitt Meadows city workers who came out for lunch break there said," No one lives out here, so no one compains loud enough about the mess." Pretty sad

[longshotz]

Your right about the request by the land owner and the subsequent compliance by P. Meadows, as this is a public road.
To play devils advocate here, P. Meadows is in a rock and hard place gig here. The theft, litter, vandalized farm equipment and on and on and,,,,,,,,,doesn't give much leeway to deny closure.
Personally I feel that we all take chances with our property being stolen, vandalized etc., so what makes this request so valid? Rest assured answers to these and other ?'s are being pursued.
As to the trash dumping, that happens on every road that terminates at dikes on either the Allouette or the Pitt rivers and it is cleaned up; the road is not closed.
As I said before, and Dano says here: Suspicion is the thought as to why the access was cut off.
Dan, if you have info that the land owner has a key please let me know soonest as I was told several times by P. Meadows that policy is "that no one gets a key, in that if one person gets it then everybody gets one, and that defeats the purpose, unless there is a particular exemption" IE A one time event, BC Hydro, Telus, or some such other similar need.
This will form part of the information gathering that is ongoing as we "speak".
Keep the issue alive people as its the squeakiest wheel that gets the grease.

Lonshotz

Thanks for doing the follow up with Pitt Meadows municipal hall. To be clear though, there is no closure in the Pitt Marsh as of yet, just the access road closure. But think of it, if they shut off our access, it adds up to closing the marsh!
We have only one direct access point to this section of the marsh, otherwise one has to travel on the north section and move their boat and equipment over a dyke and into the south section.
There's a lot wrong with this road closure, first, it's a public road! Second, the guy requesting the closure has a key, and lastly (at least the last one I'll submit for now) we have had Pitt Meadows council close sections of dyke all around the Pitt area to discharge of firearms and they shouldn't be closing access to an area that is far enough away from dyke walkers and the general public. This is an area we can hunt and not have to deal too much with anti's or people concerned about guns discharging in the area.
Don't get me wrong though, Pitt Meadows council isn't anti-hunting. For this reason I believe we will be able to get this gate opened back up.
Longshotz, let us know if there's a council meeting we can attend soon or whenever you need a group to support you at a meeting. I'm sure we will have a strong turnout!
Dan

[Victor]

For the last two years, I've hunted the Pitt Polder area by accessing the dykes via Koerner Road, or Middleton Road. Heading east on Koerner or north on Middleton will bring you to the same place. From there, I launch my cartopper (along with dog, decoys, etc, etc) and travel alongside the dykes and hunt off of one of the many small islands in the southern part of the Pitt Polder.

Today, I was in Pitt Meadows, and decided to check it out myself. I headed north on Rennie, but when I turned east onto Koerner, the gate was in fact locked. So I turned around, and tried gaining access from Middleton. The gate was opened, but there was a padlock in the gate, which leads me to believe it might have been temporarily opened.

I stopped at a house nearby, trying to get more info as to whether the gate is usually locked, or opened. Unfortunately, the homeowner was anti-hunting, and insisted that the area was ALL private land, and that hunting was illegal. She was a Ducks Unlimited member, and said the land I hunt was owned by Ducks Unlimited. Her words to me was that she lived in the area 30 years, and didnt want anyone hunting ducks in the area, causing "noise pollution, shooting at her house and her dogs." Her words, not mine! I had lots of things I wanted to say, but decided to take the high road, and thanked her for her time and left.

Does anyone know if Middleton Road is usually locked? If it is, then access (and hunting) to the south part of Pitt Polder is more or less done with. You can access via the north part, and then pull your boat over the dyke to the south part, but the distance you have to travel in order to do so is way more than accessing off Middleton/ Koerner.

Count me in as a voice to City Hall. It seems like the strategy to stopping hunting in the lower mainland (and in general), is divide and conquer. I know most hunters on this forum who hunt the Pitt Polder use the access at the boat launch in the northern part of the area. Maybe that will be the next area they try to close!

Victor

[Buck]

Stay tuned Victor Middleton and Koerner are public roads and they have no right to close them.There will be action in the New year.

[longshotz]

For the last two years, I've hunted the Pitt Polder area by accessing the dykes via Koerner Road, or Middleton Road. Heading east on Koerner or north on Middleton will bring you to the same place. From there, I launch my cartopper (along with dog, decoys, etc, etc) and travel alongside the dykes and hunt off of one of the many small islands in the southern part of the Pitt Polder.

Today, I was in Pitt Meadows, and decided to check it out myself. I headed north on Rennie, but when I turned east onto Koerner, the gate was in fact locked. So I turned around, and tried gaining access from Middleton. The gate was opened, but there was a padlock in the gate, which leads me to believe it might have been temporarily opened.

I stopped at a house nearby, trying to get more info as to whether the gate is usually locked, or opened. Unfortunately, the homeowner was anti-hunting, and insisted that the area was ALL private land, and that hunting was illegal. She was a Ducks Unlimited member, and said the land I hunt was owned by Ducks Unlimited. Her words to me was that she lived in the area 30 years, and didnt want anyone hunting ducks in the area, causing "noise pollution, shooting at her house and her dogs." Her words, not mine! I had lots of things I wanted to say, but decided to take the high road, and thanked her for her time and left.

Does anyone know if Middleton Road is usually locked? If it is, then access (and hunting) to the south part of Pitt Polder is more or less done with. You can access via the north part, and then pull your boat over the dyke to the south part, but the distance you have to travel in order to do so is way more than accessing off Middleton/ Koerner.

Count me in as a voice to City Hall. It seems like the strategy to stopping hunting in the lower mainland (and in general), is divide and conquer. I know most hunters on this forum who hunt the Pitt Polder use the access at the boat launch in the northern part of the area. Maybe that will be the next area they try to close!

Victor
Typically DU will indicate their participation in and/or the other parties they are involved with in areas in which they are active.
I am not aware of any such involvement here; certainly not with any BCWF affiliate.
This would lead me to question her credibility, and hence the accuracy of her statements.
As per the initiative to re-open the area, (see previous posts) this avenue of approach (IE: Ducks Unlimited and /or Delta Waterfowl etc.) amongst others will be explored.
Can't offer any insight into the unlocked gate at Middleton other than what is already posted in this thread earlier.
There is a possibility that parties other than Pitt Meadows put their own locks on said gates; that happened a number of years ago on these same two roads and the s**t really hit the fan when Pitt Meadows found out about this!!! Doubt this is the case now.....but(?).
You are correct in that an anti-hunting/gun/shooting mentality exists in the powers that be who decide on such access matters so we do have something of an uphill battle on our hands here.
Hence I cannot stress enough that we as hunters must ruthlessly police ourselves if we do not want more closures and lost access.
As buck says," stay tuned to this channel for breaking news as it happens on this issue".