Pemberton wants B.C. government to consider reservation fees for some hiking trails

Backcountry trails are virtually unregulated in B.C.'s provincial parks no fees and no bookings required.

At least one municipality would like to change that.

The Village of Pembertonhas submitted a resolution to next month's Union of B.C. Municipalities convention, asking the province to developa trail booking and reservation system fee structure.

"[We're] looking to the province for putting some funding in place, or measures in place, whether it's restricting the number of people using the trails, or whether there's a fee to do it, just to manage the amount of people that are coming on a daily basis," saidNikki Gilmore, Pemberton's Chief Administrative Officer.

JoffreLakes perpetually packed

Gilmore stressedthe municipality only wanted a booking and reservation system in place for the JoffreLakes Provincial Park area, which has become one of the busiest parks in the province in recent years.

"It came out of the overwhelming amount of people that have been visitingJoffreLakes and some of the conflicts with parking on the road, and just the use of the trail itself," she said.

The province has already banned dogs and other domestic pets from the trail, but cars parked on the side of the highway for hundreds of metres oneither side of the entrance are still a common sight. Garbage has alsobecome an increasing problem.

"There's a balance to everything, and really, whatwe're trying to do is find that balance," said Gilmore, who notedPemberton'sresolution also asks for increased money forinfrastructure, maintenance, enforcement and staffing of parks.

"I know they are trying to put measures in place to manage the situation."

The province wasunable to provide comment on Pemberton'sproposalFriday afternoon.

Fees for national parks

Stephen Hui, author of a new book on hikes around southwest B.C., said something needsto be done about JoffreLakes.

"It's great to see people getting outside, but obviously a super popular hike like JoffreLakes, there are problems with the swarm," he said.

"It's definitely the most overwhelmed, overcrowded trail in these parts. The big problem is really the parking."

Still, Hui said an online booking and reservation fee model for Joffrecould make sense, noting that national parks already have a fee system.

"For super popular trails, it might make sense, but I wouldn'twant trail booking to come to too many trails," he said.

Pemberton's resolution would need to be approved by delegates from all municipalities at the UBCMconvention in Whistler.

The province could choose to ignore or reject the request.