Why You Should Document Backcountry Dumping, Illegal Fires and Environmental Damage
Protecting the Backcountry Starts With All of Us
One of the best things about exploring British Columbia is getting away from the crowds and experiencing places that most people never see.
Whether you're camping, fishing, hiking, hunting, off-roading, kayaking or exploring a remote forestry road, the backcountry can feel like a completely different world.
But with that freedom comes responsibility.
Unfortunately, not everyone treats the outdoors with the same respect.
You may come across garbage dumped beside a recreation site, abandoned furniture, bottles and cans left at a campsite, an unattended campfire, or someone having a fire when a fire prohibition is in effect.
When you see something that could damage the environment or put the forest at risk, **documenting what you see can help authorities do something about it.**
## Take Pictures—Don't Just Take Their Word for It
If you witness someone leaving garbage behind or breaking an environmental or fire regulation, a photograph or video can provide valuable information.
If it is safe to do so, consider documenting:
* The vehicle
* Licence plate
* Make and model
* Colour of the vehicle
* Trailer or RV
* Location
* Date and time
* The garbage or environmental damage
* The fire
* The surrounding area
* Any identifying signs or landmarks
A clear photograph of a licence plate can be particularly useful.
In fact, the B.C. government has specifically advised that people reporting campfire violations should provide information that could help identify the person responsible, including a licence plate number or vehicle description when possible.
## Why the Licence Plate Matters
In a remote area, you may not know who someone is.
You probably don't know their name, where they live, or how authorities could identify them later.
A licence plate can provide investigators with an important lead.
For example, imagine you arrive at a remote recreation site after a group has left.
You find:
* A pile of garbage
* Broken bottles
* Food containers
* Abandoned camping equipment
* A large fire still burning
If nobody documented who was there, authorities may have very little information to work with.
But if someone safely photographed the vehicle and its licence plate while the people were still there, that information could potentially help authorities investigate.
## Never Put Yourself in Danger
This is extremely important.
**Do not confront people who are behaving irresponsibly.**
You don't know who you're dealing with, whether they are intoxicated, aggressive, or carrying a weapon.
Your safety comes first.
You don't need to argue with someone about their garbage.
You don't need to tell them they're breaking the law.
You don't need to follow them down a road.
If you can safely document the situation from a distance, do so. Otherwise, leave the area and report what you witnessed.
The goal isn't to become the backcountry police.
The goal is to provide useful information to the people whose job it is to investigate.
## Abandoned Campfires Are Especially Serious
An unattended campfire isn't just an eyesore.
It can become a wildfire.
B.C. Wildfire Service says that human-caused wildfires are preventable, and unattended or irresponsible campfires are one source of human-caused wildfire.
Even when campfires are permitted, they must be properly managed and completely extinguished before people leave. B.C. Wildfire Service states that a campfire must be fully extinguished and the ashes must be cool to the touch before the area is left.
If you come across an unattended fire, don't assume somebody will come back.
**Report it.**
## What If There Is a Fire Ban?
This becomes even more important when restrictions or prohibitions are in effect.
Fire restrictions can change depending on conditions and location, so always check the current rules for the area you're visiting before deciding whether a fire is permitted.
If you see someone deliberately having an illegal fire during a prohibition, document what you safely can and report it.
Don't get into an argument.
Don't try to put yourself in danger trying to extinguish someone else's fire.
Get the information to the appropriate authorities.
## How to Report an Illegal Fire in B.C.
For a wildfire, unattended campfire or open-fire violation, B.C. Wildfire Service provides reporting options including:
**Call *5555 from a cellphone**
or
**1-800-663-5555 toll-free**
The B.C. Wildfire Service mobile app also has a reporting function and allows users to submit photographs with a report.
For an open-burning violation or other environmental concern, the Conservation Officer Service's **Report All Poachers and Polluters (RAPP)** line can be reached at:
**1-877-952-7277**
or
**#7277 from a cellphone.**
If an illegal fire is within the jurisdiction of a local fire department and presents an emergency, B.C. Wildfire Service advises calling **911**.
Always use your best judgment and follow the instructions of emergency services.
## Document the Location
A photograph of the garbage or fire is helpful.
But knowing **where it happened** can be just as important.
When you're exploring the backcountry, consider recording:
* GPS coordinates
* Recreation site name
* Forest service road name
* Nearest intersection
* Kilometer marker
* Trail name
* Nearby landmark
* Date and time
Modern phones can often record GPS information with photographs, which can make it much easier to explain exactly where an incident occurred.
## Photograph the Evidence—Not Just the Person
If you're documenting illegal dumping, don't concentrate only on the vehicle.
Photograph the actual problem.
For example:
**Photo 1:** Vehicle and licence plate.
**Photo 2:** Person leaving the area, only if safely observable.
**Photo 3:** Garbage left behind.
**Photo 4:** Wider shot showing the location.
**Photo 5:** Close-up of identifying information on discarded material, if relevant and safe.
For a fire:
**Photo 1:** Fire from a safe distance.
**Photo 2:** Wider view showing its location.
**Photo 3:** Vehicle and licence plate, if safely visible.
**Photo 4:** Surrounding vegetation and conditions.
This gives authorities a much better picture of what happened.
## Don't Alter the Evidence
If you discover garbage that somebody has dumped, don't destroy or scatter it while trying to clean it up.
If possible, document it first.
There may be information within the garbage that could help identify where it came from.
After documenting the situation, follow the instructions of the appropriate authority.
And remember: **don't go digging through garbage looking for personal information.**
Your job is to report what you observed—not conduct your own investigation.
## What About Taking Photos of People?
Use common sense and prioritize safety and privacy.
If you can document an incident from a public place without putting yourself in danger, that may provide useful evidence.
But don't follow someone, trespass onto private property, threaten them, or provoke a confrontation.
You also don't need to post someone's face, name, licence plate or other identifying information on social media.
**Report the information to the appropriate authorities instead.**
There's a big difference between documenting an incident for an official report and publicly trying to shame or identify someone online.
## Don't Become a Backcountry Vigilante
This is probably the most important message in this entire article.
**You are not responsible for enforcing every backcountry rule yourself.**
Don't confront people.
Don't threaten them.
Don't chase them.
Don't block their vehicle.
Don't try to take their keys.
Don't put yourself between someone and their vehicle.
And don't attempt to extinguish a dangerous fire unless you're trained and it is clearly safe to do so.
Your job is to be a good witness.
Observe.
Document.
Report.
Let the appropriate authorities handle the investigation.
## Help Keep Our Public Lands Clean
Most people who enjoy the outdoors want to leave it better than they found it.
That's why responsible recreation matters.
If you pack something into the backcountry, pack it back out.
If you have a legal campfire, make sure it is completely extinguished.
Respect fire prohibitions.
Stay on appropriate roads and trails.
Don't dump garbage.
Don't damage wildlife habitat.
And if you see someone seriously damaging the environment or creating a fire hazard, consider reporting it.
Our forests, lakes, rivers and recreation areas belong to all of us.
## The Backcountry Needs More Eyes, Not More Arguments
You don't have to be a conservation officer, firefighter or park ranger to help protect the places you love.
Sometimes helping simply means paying attention.
A photograph.
A licence plate.
A GPS location.
A time and date.
A description of what happened.
Those small pieces of information can potentially give authorities something they can act on.
So the next time you're exploring the backcountry and see something that shouldn't be happening, remember:
**Don't confront.**
**Don't put yourself in danger.**
**Document what you safely can.**
**Report it to the right authority.**
And most importantly, keep enjoying the outdoors responsibly.
### Leave It Better Than You Found It
At Experience The Trip, we believe exploring British Columbia is about more than finding incredible places.
It's about helping preserve them so that the next person who comes down that road, hikes that trail, casts a fishing line into that lake or sets up a tent at that campsite can experience the same thing.
**Take only memories, leave only footprints—and if you see something that could seriously harm our backcountry, don't just drive away and forget about it. Safely document it and report it.**