Conservation officers and snowmobilers in the Cariboo region continue to work together in an effort to protect southern mountain caribou habitat.
The decline of caribou herds is mainly due to high mortality linked to predation and disturbance in the short-term, said Sgt. Jeff Tyre of the Conservation Officer Service Cariboo Region.
“In the long-term, southern mountain caribou are threatened by habitat fragmentation, alteration and loss of old growth forest,” Tyre said, noting historically the population has declined over the past 100 years with a sharp decline from about 2,500 animals in 1995 to about 1,540 in 15 herds today.
Back in 2007, under the provincial government’s Mountain Caribou Recovery Implementation Plan, scientists recommended more than one million hectares across the mountain caribou range be closed to motorized winter recreation to facilitate recovery of caribou populations.
As a result of the plan, snowmobile clubs in the province were given the opportunity to work with government staff to develop Stewardship Management Agreements (SMA) for riding areas that overlapped with proposed closures.
Snowmobile closure maps for all of BC can be found at: www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/wildlife/snowmobile-closures/.
Locally the Quesnel Highlands Management Society (QHMS), representing the Powder Kings Snowmobile Club, Mica Mountain Riders Association, Wells Snowmobile Club, Quesnel Snowmobile Club and the British Columbia Snowmobile Federation came on board with the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, Regional Operations, South Area, Caribou Region to work on an agreement.
Williams Lake Powder Kings media director Laurie Snowball said the overall goal of the agreement is to minimize potential risks of disturbance and displacement of mountain caribou from suitable habitat by snowmobiling activities.
“This will be accomplished by limiting access to specific areas,” Snowball said, noting all parties in the agreement will work together to educate the public about legislated closures.
As part of the agreement, the different snowmobile clubs meet annually to hear reporting of overall compliance and effectiveness of the SMA, as well as to gauge the effectiveness of signage and educational materials, Snowball added.
“We all share reports describing our monitoring activities and results including wildlife sightings and snowmobiling usage in the open riding areas.”
Tyre said this winter both the COS and the Ministry of Forests compliance and enforcement branch are increasing their monitoring presence in the backcountry and on approved snowmobile trails.
“Snowmobilers can expect to see conservation officers at loading and offloading areas, carrying out compliance checks on legal trails and patrolling along closure boundaries and known access routes where historical non-compliance has occurred,” he said, noting efforts will include both
ground patrols and helicopter flights to monitor compliance with the closures.
The Ministry of Forests has years of data compiling the areas where contraventions have occurred and the COS and CEB will be concentrating enforcement efforts in those areas, he added.
Tyre also urged members of the public witnessing anyone operating a snowmobile in a closed area to please contact the Conservation Officer Service at 1-877-952-7277.
Off road vehicle act enforcement
The Conservation Officer service will also be enforcing the Off Road Vehicle Act and the Motor Vehicle Act as they pertain to the use of snowmobiles and the purchasing of trail passes for those using groomed trails, he said as he encouraged snowmobilers to take a moment to review the requirements under the Off Road Vehicle Act specific to what type of use the snowmobile will be used for.
For information on registration, licencing and insurance and other questions related to the Off Road Vehicle Act please refer to the “Frequently Asked Questions” document at: www.for.gov.bc.ca/mof/orv/QA_ORV_Act.pdf.