For the Townsman
Sometime late Saturday night or early Sunday morning the North Gate into the Community Forest was vandalized and the lock pin and chain hacksawed off, with padlock still attached.
A press release from the Cranbrook Community Forest Society said the gate was found open when security checked the road access early Sunday morning.
This gate is locked at night for safety purposes. Unauthorized access through this gate has been an ongoing issue for many years and extra patrols are now being scheduled, along with an increased security presence in the area.
The RCMP has been notified and they are aware of the vandalism issues in regards to the North Gate. The cost of new padlocks and gate repairs has to be absorbed from volunteer funds raised by the Community Forest Society.
"We ask people who are out in the forest to contact the Natural Resource Violation number – 1-877-952-7277 if they notice any unauthorized activity," the CCF Society release added.
The public is also reminded that there is no shooting allowed within 100 metres of a public trail. The Community Forest is a provincially designated Recreation Area.