It’s that time of year again! Our Site Condition Reporting (SCR) summary is here! While SCRs are welcomed year-round, October marks our end of year reporting.
In 2026, BCMT received 502 Site Condition Reports, a 17% increase over 2025, 42% increase from 2024, and a whopping 69% jump from 2023!
These reports are the eyes and ears of the coast. Each one documents real-time conditions, from changes in tent sites and landings, to infrastructure requiring a bit of TLC, and everything in between. These reports help us and our partners protect and improve the coast we love.
While annual SCR submissions continue to grow, we’re only seeing the beginning of what’s possible. Imagine if each recreationist on the BC coast submitted even just one SCR per year!
How much coast did we cover?
This season’s 502 reports covered 357 unique sites, or roughly 23% of the BC Marine Trails network. That means over 3/4 of sites still haven’t received a report this year.
When 2025 and 2026 SCRs are combined, 568 sites are represented in the past two years, (36% of sites on the BCMT map).
This year, SCRs resulted in 164 sites with updated photos, and 131 sites with updated site descriptions. A huge thank you to our Regional Managers who work hard to use all of this data to keep the map up-to-date!
Imagine if every paddler took five minutes to submit just one Site Condition Report from their trip. We’d have a complete, living snapshot of the BC coast, year after year!
Regional reports this season came from:
Vancouver Island: 204
Discoveries & Mid-Coast: 107
South Coast Mainland: 91
Central Coast: 49
North Coast: 43
Haida Gwaii: 2
Stewardship in action
This year, nearly one-third (32.6%) of all SCRs included direct caretaking actions. That’s a huge impact, and a testament to the hands-on spirit of BC’s paddling community.
Most common actions included:
Packing out marine debris: 74 reports
Collecting debris for later pickup: 50 reports
Brushing tent sites: 37 reports
Outhouse cleaning or maintenance: 32 reports
Trail clipping: 24 reports
Outhouse cleaning or maintenance: 32 reports
Fire pit disassembly: 21 reports
Each action, no matter how small, helps maintain the coast’s natural beauty and safety for the next visitor.
When marine debris is stashed above the high tide line, with details and photos submitted through an SCR, we share these reports with local marine debris cleanup organizations.
The Ocean Legacy Foundation, Rugged Coast, and Living Oceans Society are some of the groups dedicated to large scale cleanups of our coast. By sharing reports of debris accumulation, they are able to take action on reports, removing and recycling debris piled by recreationists like yourself. Help us close the loop on marine debris by piling and reporting on your next adventure!
Some sites in Clayoquot and Quatsino Sound even have dedicated drop zones which are emptied periodically throughout the year, in Clayoquot and Quatsino Sounds. If you see a drop zone in your travels, collect debris washed up on shore, and pile it at the base of the sign for future collection!
Building a record of coastal site conditions
SCR submissions also generated 1,275 new photos for the BCMT map, an average of 2.5 per report. These images and reports capture changing conditions and are shared with First Nations and land managers to support on-the-ground stewardship.
22 reports flagged danger trees, with several already addressed thanks to volunteer action and partner coordination.
Reports live on the member map
Site Condition Reports are now visible on the member map! You will now be able to see the most up-to-date information possible for your trip planning. Displayed reports (shown by orange pins) will include important information on conditions, photos, and more.
Head to the layers section of the map and toggle on ‘Site Condition Reports’.
Help us reach 100% coverage
Despite SCRs successes in 2026, we still need your help! Our goal is for at least one report, per site, per year. Can you help us get there in 2027?
You can help by:
-
Making Site Condition Reports a part of your adventure routine after your next trip
-
Joining our Coastal Caretakers program
-
Encouraging your paddling friends to join in
