How many of you were as surprised as myself when Forests Minister Pat Bell announced on television earlier this summer, that the new legal size of a campfire was half a metre.
Well, it is about to happen again. The ministry of environment and ministry of healthy living and sport have initiated a review process that will bring sweeping changes to the regulations on open burning with the outcome being the total elimination of all back yard burning (including grass) in even the remotest of populated areas in B.C.
This unfortunately is not the worst of it. The review process began in June of this year and ends on Sept. 23. This time frame is not adequate for a proper review of proposed legislation.
I urge you to get a copy of the Open Burning Smole Control Regulations Poicy Intention Paper on-line at www.env.gov.bc.ca/epd/codes and make your comments known.
I also encourage you to contact the ministers of environment and healthy living and sport to request an extension to the consultation period so the holidaying public and stakeholder groups may have time to ingest the proposed changes and make educated and intelligent comments on them.
Denys Bell
Burns Lake
