Amid preparations to clean up an abandoned camp in the Lumby area, the Okanagan Forest Task Force (OFTF) is urging the province to aid its mission to make the backcountry safer. Ryan Hirschmiller, with OFTF, said the concerns about these illegal camp sites include polluted waterways and a greater risk of wildfire. …The illegality of many of these campsites comes down to their duration. In B.C., campsites in parks or on Crown land can only be set up for a maximum of 14 days. …Blake sent an open letter to B.C. Premier David Eby two weeks ago, in which the OFTF stated …that these encampments on Crown land pose a risk to public safety. Blake has since sent letters to Forests Minister Ravi Parmar and to Conservative Party and Official Opposition leader Pierre Poilievre. …The letter asks: “Why are we waiting for something catastrophic to happen before taking action?”