LETTER – MLA Stamer’s handling of Jamieson Creek issue is disappointing

Letter to BC Conservative Leader/ Opposition Leader John Rustad:

Dear Mr. Rustad, I am writing to express my serious concern and disappointment with MLA Stamer’s handling of the escalating situation at Jamieson Creek FSR.

MLA Stamer is not only our elected representative — someone I and many of my neighbours voted for — but also the Shadow Minister for Forestry. Despite this, we have received just one written response in over two weeks and no concrete plan of action to address what has now become an urgent environmental and public safety crisis.

 Jamieson Creek is a salmon-bearing stream less than an hour from where MLA Stamer resides. The area is suffering from ongoing illegal occupation, raw sewage dumping, fire risk during a high wildfire danger season, and damage to Crown land infrastructure. These issues have been widely reported to RAPP, Natural Resource Violations, the Ministry of Forests, Fisheries, and even covered in the media — yet there is still no indication of any enforcement action being taken or leadership from MLA Stamer’s office to escalate this matter.

SEE ALSO: ROTHENBURGER – Squatters have taken Jamieson Creek away from the public

This lack of response is unacceptable from any MLA, but it is particularly concerning from someone who sits as the Shadow Minister for Forestry. Constituents reasonably expect him to champion issues of forestry management, Crown land stewardship, and environmental protection. Instead, we have been met with silence or deferrals to other agencies while the situation on the ground worsens daily.

Is this truly the level of representation your party considers acceptable? If an MLA living within an hour of a crisis area cannot respond with urgency to protect local forests and waterways, what would it take for him to care?

As a constituent, I expect better. I am urging your office to:

Review MLA Stamer’s handling of this issue and ensure he is providing meaningful, timely communication with his constituents.

Encourage him, in his role as Shadow Minister for Forestry, to publicly advocate for immediate enforcement action by Natural Resource Officers and for better inter-ministerial coordination to stop the environmental damage.

Provide a clear statement from your party affirming its commitment to protecting Crown land, salmon habitat, and rural communities affected by illegal activities on public land.

This issue has now gained significant public attention in the media, with coverage highlighting the growing concern:

CBC Kamloops – Residents push back against long-term Jamieson Creek camps https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-108-daybreak-kamloops/clip/16169907-residents-push-back-long-term-jamieson-creek-camps

CFJC Today – Environmental concerns ramping up from long-term camping near Jamieson Creek https://cfjctoday.com/2025/09/24/environmental-concerns-ramping-up-from-long-term-camping-near-jamieson-creek/

Our community is growing increasingly frustrated by the lack of leadership and fears that continued inaction will result in long-term harm to the ecosystem — and a loss of public trust in both MLA Stamer and your party.

We do not want this to end up like Nicola Lake with government inaction. https://www.merrittherald.com/toxic-algae-crisis-deepens-at-nicola-lake-after-years-of-ignored-warnings/

I look forward to a prompt response and a plan for action that reflects the seriousness of this issue.

Respectfully,
JAYME HALLSTROM

EDITOR’S NOTE: Jayme Hallstrom has also sent letters to Water, Land and Resource Stewardship Minister Randene Neill and Forests Minister Ravi Parmar urging action.