A pair of Alberta residents were ticketed on Feb. 14 for snow biking in an area closed to protect mountain caribou near Revelstoke.
Conservation Officers on a helicopter patrol near Revelstoke spotted two snow bike riders in the middle of the Sale Mountain closure. The officers landed, stopped the riders and handed out more than $1,600 in fines.
According to the Conservation Officer Service, the first rider was charged with snowmobiling in a closed area and failing to produce documents and identification, for a total of $748. The second was charged for using or operating a snowmobile in a closed area, failing to produce documents and identification and failing to display a number plate, decal or sticker of other jurisdiction, for a total of $921.
In a post on its Facebook page, the Conservation Officer Service reminded the public that recreational snowmobiling in illegal areas can displace mountain caribou from high-quality winter habitat, impacting an already threatened population.
According to the Conservation Officer Service, prior to issuing the fines, the officers spotted 25 caribou in an area north of Revelstoke.
The Conservation Officer Service said that it’s important to note that the location where they issued tickets to snow bike riders for operating in a closed area is not the same as where caribou were sighted.
READ MORE: Balancing land use: Revelstoke snowmobile club preserving caribou on Frisby Ridge
READ MORE: Revelstoke’s population grows by over 9% since 2016: Statistics Canada
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josh.piercey@revelstokereview.com
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