(Keystone) Caribou and Standard Basin Closure in effect next season.

[FernieHawk]

Yes, most of Keystone . We`ll have the maps soon and I`ll put them on here. Yesterday aft. we met with MoE, they told us Caribou Basin and Standard Basin are closed to snowmobiling, this goes into effect Jan 1/11. Prime Mtn. Caribou habaitat is the reason and pressure from enviro groups to save the animals.

Please keep in mind they are on here reading your comments also and so are our friends in the media.

We will let you all know what the plan is and how you can help soon.

What is the status of these closures? The maps on the Government website (Fish and Wildlife - Environment - Province of British Columbia) do not show any changes from last year.

 

[Powder Puff]

Gov. has not got back to us regarding additional closures or responded to our proposals to date.
We are respecting the closures with the same maps as last season.

 

[AndyBaily]

So whats the story? Are we able to ride keystone? Or limited access? Or not at all?

 

[Powder Puff]

You are able to ride Keystone/Standard Basin and respect the closures as noted on the signs at the trailhead and signs posted along closure borders.

 

[Ruegsegger]

Thanks for the info powder puff.

 

[Powder Puff]

FURTHER POSSIBLE SNOWMOBILE AREA CLOSURES:
Recently we have received a letter from the BC Snowmobile Federation in which it states: “in a very recent
conversation with Chris Ritchie and Darcy Peel it sounds like they are moving ahead to
close areas in Keystone south of the cabin. They are also closing the area in Caribou Basin to
the trail head and opening up an area in the north end of Frisby”.
This matter is before the Minister and his high level people so time is important. The club feels that you, as a
member, need to be kept informed as to what is happening to your snowmobile areas. There have been
many rumors this winter on closures, questions on what areas are now closed and what areas are open. The
club is trying to arrange a meeting in Victoria with these Minis ters and during a conference call last Monday,
many other clubs stated they would be interested in attending such a meeting as they are losing areas as
well. Letters have been sent to the government requesting that they hold off on signing into law a document
that would put these closures into effect until such a time that we are able to meet with them and present
our side of the argument. We have also requested a meeting with the City in which we will ask for their help
in keeping these area open.
As many of you are aware this club has worked for over 30 years trying to keep areas open for our sport.
Overall we have been fairly successful although we have seen a decline in areas that we can use for snowmobiling.
Numerous agreements and a Stewardship Management Agreement have been signed with government
yet they keep coming back to the table with more closure demands. We feel our record speaks for itself,
our management practices have been proven and our cooperation with government has been outstanding.
Yet government now seems to think they can save the species by banning us from some of our areas.
Caribou Basin would see an entire closure of the area from the highway to the top of the mountain (easier
enforcement for government), while the Standard Basin section of Keystone would also see an entire closure.
Standard Basin by government’s own admission is one of the best compliance areas for sledders staying out
of restricted areas.
The area they are talking of opening on the north end of Frisby is a very small area and not a fair trade for
what we could be losing.
We are going to keep you up to date on what happens but there is a chance we will be calling on you for a
letter writing campaign to government urging these areas remain open. At this point we are working with
the Federation to try to resolve these issues and hopefully we will be successful.

The RSC, SRS and BCSF will be meeting with ministers in Vic. on Thur. Feb. 10

 

[Doo800ho]

Keep up the good work. It's beneficial for every one. I seen caibou once on frisby off in the distance then one of them heli-skiers helicopter came roaring over the mountain top and scared the crap out of eveything and sent the running. i thought he was going to bring the slop down on us.

 

[Powder Puff]

The RSC, SRS and BCSF met with ministers Thur. at the legistlative buildings in Vic. to try and prevent further closures in the Revelstoke area for Mtn. Caribou Recovery. I have to attatched the maps to show the additional closures that we are facing. The first map represents our current closures.

 

[Powder Puff]

A complete closure is slated for Caribou Basin. The green area in the 1st map shows where we can ride presently.

 

[Powder Puff]

Current and proposed additional closures for Keystone/Standard Basin.

 

[Powder Puff]

This is our proposal for Keystone/Standard Basin.

 

[Powder Puff]

Here is our presentation, we had 10 mins. to plead our case and there was a brief question/answer period.
The presentation shows the history and how we have tried to work with gov. on the Mtn. Caribou Recovery plan.
Please respect the current closures, tracks are recorded on a regular basis and make it very hard for us work to keep these areas open for us all to enjoy.
I attended and want to thank Les Auston (BCSF), Angie Threatful (SRS), Tom Dickson (SRS/RSC) and Bill Hughes (SRS/RSC) for giving up 3 days to do this for us. I`d also like to thank Ron LaRoy for all his input in our preparation for the meeting, he was unable to attend because of work.
Now we wait for Gov.`s decision.

 

[goldstream camp]

Thanks to all involved to date in respect to government response to further closures. I am one of four partners that owns the mile 50 camp at the base of Cariboo Basin. We purchased this property to enjoy outdoor activities and access to some of the best riding in the world. We have spent considerable time and money on this purchase. We talked to one of the biologists prior to purchase and his comment was that if we do not open up to a commercial venture ie; B/B, he said with the closures in effect that the cariboo habitat should survive. I hope that the proposed closures is not a knee jerk reaction from couch crusaders and uninformed tree huggers pressure on government from the bad press and results of last years unfortunate activities. My concern is that why is the government picking on snowmobile use and not the heli skiers and loggers that are far more present in the area? Is the snowmobile community getting a unfair rap? I have been very fortunate to be able to fly over the area via helicopter and the only signs of cariboo that I saw are when they settle at night on the packed down ski run pick ups. I think they do this for easy access and for the herds group from natural preditors in safety of numbers. Please keep us informed on further updates from government. I think a petition or letter writing campain of sorts should be started. It is much harder to get land use back then to stop the government from taking away. All riders and backcountry users need to respond to government actions. Thanks again to all involved so far.

 

[Powder Puff]

Logging has been affected by the recovery process, but not heli-skiing. At a meeting last summer with ILMB I asked "if it is all about the Caribou why do these areas remain open to heli-skiing, why is isn`t it closed to all backcountry activities?" The response was "That will never happen."
Makes it hard to ask members and guests to respect the closures when skiing tourists are allowed to access these areas.
More and more we are seeing the animals in our more popular riding areas, they travel on our tracks in the deep snow, in this area we do not see preditors in the alpine (moose and deer are abundant in the valley). The scientists even admit that the animals on Frisby have become habituated.
Closing more areas to snowmobilers seems to be an inexpensive way to prove to Joe Public that Gov. is doing something to support the recovery of the Mtn. Caribou.
The Revelstoke Snowmobile Club worked on our Stewardship Management Agreement with Gov. regarding areas closed to snowmobiling for the recovery of Mtn. Caribou for 4 yrs.!!!!!! The SMA was used as a platelet for all clubs in the prov. with Mtn. Caribou closure areas. When we signed the SMA Aug. 2008 we were told not to expect any additional closures, not even a year and a 1/2 later we were faced with these additional closures. We were told our deal was with MoE and that the additonal closures were being put forth by ILMB and that these areas had not been negotiated. Talk about a fleecing.
I hope Caribou Basin remains open also, it is a gem.
We will keep members up to date on this process and yes I think a letter writing campaign would be beneficial. Last time we asked members and others who ride in Revelstoke for support over 1500 letters were sent in to Gov.

 

[CUSO]

Bring it on! I think an unsurmountable response would happen.
I can really see that they can be attracted to our tracks, for foraging of food and such, but have they proven that this is the lead to the lowering population?

 

[Powder Puff]

Animals die in the first 3 mos. of their lives, predators. They travel down to the valley in spring to calf. Grizzlies, wolves and wolverines love Caribou.
There is some talk of a wolf cull, but doubt that will happen now as they look too much like sled dogs. Catching, penning pregnant cows has also been discussed (wonder how many will abort with the stress), also captive breeding has been talked about and transplant programs (last time this was done they all died). We have heard about these plans for yrs. now and have heard all pilot programs have been planned for the Revelstoke area, no action yet, just more closures for snowmobiling.
No it has not been proven that snowmobiling will be the end of the Mtn. Caribou.

 

[goldstream camp]

PP do you have a contact within the government that a letter campain should be directed too? I think a draft document of our concerns should be started sooner then later. Thx.

 

[Powder Puff]

goldstream camp are you and your partners members of the Revelstoke Snowmobile Club?


Honourable Murray Coell

Minister of Environment

P.O. Box 9047 STN PROV GOVT

Victoria, BC

V8W 9E2



env.minister@gov.bc.ca


Honourable Pat Bell

Minister of Forests, Lands and Mines

P.O. Box 9049 STN PROV GOVT

Victoria, BC

V8W 9E2



pat.bell@gov.bc.ca

 

[goldstream camp]

We are not members of Revy, in the past we have been members of the Fernie club. On a good year we are able to ride Cariboo one or two times a month. If you think it would be a plus for our case I will talk to my partners. Thx.

 

[bushwackin]

I have been a member of Revy in past years but I admit not this year yet (not sure why because I've been sledding there). I'm going to get my buddies on the program as well. Maybe people should start donating $50 or $100 or whatever amount to start building a legal fund to fight this. Sounds like we might need it. Like Goldstream said, way easier now compared to when more closures come.