An illegal encampment that had taken over the woods along Beaver Lake Road has been cleared up by the Okanagan Forest Task Force.
Okanagan Task Force founder Kane Blake says he and a few team members drove up to the wooded area a few days ago.
Blake says the camp was set up roughly two weeks ago.
"It was literally garbage, kids' toys, clothing, and stolen items. They were trying to actually live. They were trying to build a full structure with stolen lumber," Blake said.
Blake says dozens of live green trees were also chopped down.
"They had started cutting down a lot of live trees, which is a big no-no. People need to know that you cannot be cutting down live trees. They were cutting down a lot... 20 to 40. In one section, it looks like they tried to clear-cut their way to the lake."
A team from the Okanagan Forest Task Force will be going back to Beaver Lake Road in the coming days to finish the cleanup.
"Lots of what's left was actually stolen from a property up there. I have been in contact with the owner of the stolen items and will be returning all of his lumber, BBQ, batteries, ladders, propane tanks, fridge, and more. This is a perfect example of why we need to keep an eye on what's going on in our backcountry," Blake added.
