I find it quite surprising that organizers of the back country coalition are calling for a removal of the media from future meetings.  Are the majority of the members of this coalition really in favour of that move?

Back country  access is probably the number one reason people choose to live in this area despite the difficulty in earning a living.

To most residents of the Columbia Valley, this will be the most newsworthy story of 2012.  Those who are unable to sit on the coalition will still be following the news with great interest.

As has been stated before, the success of this attempt to define a backcountry plan will depend on total transparency. And what better way to have total transparency than unbiased reporting by our local newspapers? If this committee’s actions can’t withstand the scrutiny of the press, we should all be very concerned.

Cheryl Willard

Windermere