A First Nation in the B.C. Interior says it’s setting up a checkpoint to track pickers harvesting mushrooms on its territory.
The Skwlāx te Secwepemcúl̓ecw alleges that a surge in the number of mushroom pickers in the area has resulted in an increase in property damage and trash.
Mushroom pickers have flocked to the area, which was devastated by the 2023 Bush Creek East wildfire, in search of morel mushrooms.
Wild morels typically surface in the spring in areas burned by wildfires and are a sought-after and often pricey delicacy.
“We have seen permanent camps established in the area with no washroom facilities,” Skwlāx Kukpi7 (Chief) James Tomma said in a statement.
“There is garbage all over the place. Some of the pickers have shot and killed wildlife in the area.”
The nation said it has set a gate up at the head of the Scotch Creek Forest Service Road. The gate is on Skwlāx reserve land, while the nation said the remainder of the road is on its unceded territory.
“Most people are respectful, but you get the one per cent,” mushroom picker Dan Beblow told Global News.
Gary Smith, who has been harvesting for 25 years, said there were as many as 600 people working the burn area at the start of the season, but that it had since died down.
He acknowledged there are always a few “bad apples,” but said the vast majority of people harvesting made an effort to leave the area how they found it.
“They shouldn’t condemn everybody for it,” he said.
“We didn’t even leave a cigarette butt on the ground and we never have.”
One mushroom buyer Global News spoke with at the site said the majority of people working the area were professional pickers who take pains to keep the area clean to avoid attracting bears.
He added that many Indigenous groups have collaborated with pickers in the past by charging a nominal fee for a licence and providing portapotties, patrols and some cleanup.
The First Nation said that for the time being it was not restricting access to the area, but would use the checkpoint to keep track of who was going in and out of the area, and to ensure those harvesting are held responsible for any damage or trash left behind.
The nation added that it was waiting for the province to “come to the table” to help protect the land, and that it hoped to work a resolution out soon.
“The land and the wildlife are still recovering from last year’s Bush Creek East wildfires,” Tomma said.
“They need time to heal in an undisturbed environment.”