Stay On The Road, Please!
By Sara Golling
At the end of March, the Trail Wildlife Association, the Ministry of Forests, Lands & Natural Resources, and ATV/BC, along with other local stakeholder groups, organized an information session about conservation properties in the Pend d’Oreille Valley. Those properties were set aside to compensate for the damage done by construction of the Seven Mile Dam in the 1970s, and — so far — they are open for the public to enjoy.
The information session was intended to help keep the lands open for public enjoyment; the key message was aimed at operators of off-road vehicles such as dirt bikes and ATVs, and the message is: stay on existing roads only. The damage being done to soil, vegetation, and wildlife by off-road riding and mud-bogging, as well as cutting trees (including wildlife trees) and littering, threatens everyone’s enjoyment of the lands.
Of course the same message applies equally well to any other land. Around Rossland, we prize the nearby trails and the woods around them. Seeing birds and other animals that live nearby is a treat; let’s not make their lives any harder.
Going off-road? Fine — go on foot. Carry your trash back out with you. Please — forget about campfires; the land is too dry. Don’t cut any trees — even snags; snags are very useful to wildlife. Caught short? Bury it. In other words, please respect the land. Respect all those creatures who live there, and other people who would like to enjoy some time there without being appalled at the changes hammered into the landscape by people who like it enough to go there, but not enough to ensure that it will be there tomorrow, undamaged.
John Prine sang: “Some humans ain’t human — Some people ain’t kind.” Please be human in the best sense of the word, and kind too.
(Poster text below:)
You are now entering the
Pend d’Oreille Valley
Wildlife Conservation Area
These lands are owned by the B.C. Ministry of Environment and BC Hydro and are managed to maintain important wildlife habitat values. This area provides critical winter habitat for elk and deer. Wildlife trees and snags are important for cavity nesting birds and species at risk.
No tree cutting or off road motorized access permitted
Thank you for your cooperation.
(Map of the conservation lands here)
To report Natural Resource Violations call the Natural Resource Violation reporting line at 1 844 NRO-TIPS (1 844 676-8477
For more information contact
Irene Manley -Wildlife Biologist, Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program – Section
Ministry of Forests Lands and Natural Resource Operations
ph. 250 354-6219 irene.manley@gov.bc.ca
