Winter Motorized Recreation Management Plan – Background

Working collaboratively with the Governments of Canada, West Moberly First Nations and Saulteau First Nations and informed by the South Peace Snowmobile Advisory Committee, the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development has prepared a draft Winter Motorized Recreation Management Plan (Plan) for the South Peace Region. The Plan identifies proposed management measures to mitigate the impacts of winter motorized recreation on caribou recovery while retaining or enhancing winter motorized recreation opportunities in appropriate areas.

In February 2020, the Government’s of British Columbia, Canada, West Moberly First Nations and Saulteau First Nations (the Parties) signed the Intergovernmental Partnership Agreement for the Conservation of the Central Group to the Southern Mountain Caribou (the Agreement). The Agreement specifies actions the Parties have agreed to take to achieve the shared recovery objective of: “Immediately stabilizing and expeditiously growing the population of the Central Group to levels that are self-sustaining and support traditional aboriginal harvesting activities, consistent with existing Aboriginal and Treaty rights”, while considering the social and economic well-being of communities and stakeholders in the region.

The Agreement outlined the Government of British Columbia’ commitments to continuing several ongoing recovery measures including, but not limited to; predator management, maternity penning, supplemental feeding, habitat protection for industry, and restoration. Learn more about the management measures that are ongoing throughout the Central group.

In addition to the other ongoing recovery measures in the Central group, the government of British Columbia is accountable for the development, engagement, consultation, and implementation of a management plan for motorized recreation to achieve the Shared Recovery Objective for the Central Group of Southern Mountain Caribou. The management plan includes areas where enhancement of snowmobiling opportunities in the South Peace may occur. For more information, read the Winter Motorized Recreation Management Plan in the South Peace Frequently Asked Questions.