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 snowbike 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.
Prior to issuing the fines, the officers to spotted 25 caribou while flying over the Queest area.
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
@josh_piercey
josh.piercey@revelstokereview.com
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