(The following letter is addressed to the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations regarding Oliver Mountain.)

It has come to my attention your proposal about the building of a recreation trail on Oliver Mountain.

I am very surprised that I have not read anything in the local news about that matter and you seem to indicate that the construction will start in September.  Has this been another “secret committee” making this kind of decision?

Last year two meetings were held in Osoyoos and Oliver but the predominant idea was to protect Oliver Mountain from further erosion, and now you want to destroy it by installing a dirt bike track. Yes, that is the name of it, not a recreation trail system. Who are you trying to deceive?  The removal of 29 hectares from the protected area is going to be very detrimental.

You are indicating that the site will likely be used by nature viewers, hikers and hunters.  Are you kidding? How are these various activities compatible? Have you considered the matter of safety?  Are the dirt bike trails to be separate from hiking trails? What about the pollution, both from the dust these bikes raise and the noise that they make?

Have you done any geotechnical studies? Do you know that most of the dirt there is glacial silt and creates clouds of dust when disturbed?

Have you done any ecological studies? What is going to happen to the Lewis Woodpecker (at risk) and many other protected species that live there? Is the Peregrine Falcon still going to nest in the rocks above? Will the Turkey Vulture still be soaring above every morning as it does now?

On my exploration walk I saw a five-day-old fawn suckling from her mother. Will I see that a year from now?

That area is heavily used for beef pasturing for a good part of the year.  Are you planning to fence it or are the bikers going to crash into the peaceful cow grazing at the other side of the hill?

According to your map, the trail is running down north to south parallel to an existing ravine and crossing it at least twice. Do you know that these deep depressions have a mini climate where many species could be at risk? This ravine carries water sometimes during the year and present some wet areas. How are you going to protect it? On the Recovery Strategy for the Yellow Breasted Chat from Environment Canada 2011 study map AB3, it shows this ravine as a critical habitat for the bird which is at risk of extinction.

Have you talked to the residents closer to the site? Will you provide them with masks for the dust and earplugs for the noise?

Many people from this region consider this mountain as the Stanley Park of Oliver. Would you ever think of building a similar track in Vancouver’s Stanley Park even though I am sure you would find more bikers in the Lower Mainland?

You said you are doing it in consultation with many groups.  Have the ranchers, Wildlife Federation, Oliver Osoyoos Naturalist Club, horseback riders, etc., approved it?

Are you building the dirt bike track for the bikers of Oliver or to attract others from Keremeos, Penticton, Osoyoos and part of the US?

I am not against the building of a dirt bike site, but as a hiker, ATV owner and resident of Oliver I say “no” to the destruction of Oliver Mountain by building this site.

Antonio Alonso, Oliver