There are 118,000 off-highway vehicles registered in Alberta, making up a $2 billion industry in equipment, camping accessories and related spinoffs, said Gary Clark.
It’s one reason why he doesn’t believe the provincial government will grant a request from Alberta conservation groups to ban the vehicles on Alberta’s eastern slopes.
But Clark, president of the Crowsnest Pass-based Quad Squad, an off-highway vehicle group, said he agrees with the need for greater protection of sensitive lands, and his group is working toward that goal.
Seven people representing conservation groups and interests have asked the provincial government to ban of-highway vehicle use in areas of the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains that are critical wildlife zones.
Read Also
VIDEO: Prairie crops on track for average yields
LANGHAM, SASK. – Western Canadian farmers will harvest an average crop this year provided cooler temperatures prevail and the region…
They also asked that such vehicles be banned from the new Castle parks, announced by the government in September, and that trails be permanently closed in areas of west slope cutthroat trout habitat.
The groups also want the government to reduce the trail density in the region, which is criss-crossed with old and new trails related to oil and gas wells, power lines, logging and seismic activity.
Clark said the Quad Squad has built numerous bridges over waterways in the Castle region and elsewhere for use by off-highway vehicles.
“People think that the Quad Squad is, ‘oh they just want to get out there and rip up the land and stuff’, and that’s not true. The squad is roughly about 15 years old and our main focus is actually protecting the waterways and the banks and the fish habitats.”
He said the privately funded group is planning more bridges and possibly moving trails that affect existing streams.
Clark acknowledges that some off-highway vehicle users damage the back country, some deliberately and some without realizing it.
Enforcement of rules that prohibit crossing streams with vehicles or riding within waterways is limited because of the size and ruggedness of the terrain.
Shannon Frank, executive director of the Oldman Watershed Council, said off-highway vehicle use in the region is a contentious issue, but the council doesn’t pick sides.
“We work with the OHV users to come up with solutions. A lot of them are very supportive of some elements that are supported by environmental groups,” said Frank.
“Most of them are supportive of having increased enforcement. A lot support user fees and a permit system to manage use. They support designated trails and bridges. They recognize that some areas are sensitive and should be no-go zones, so I think there’s a lot more common ground than people realize.”
Frank said the OWC has been advising the government on land use in the watershed, which in-cludes the Castle area, for several years. The government is now developing recreation management plans for several regions, which Frank said will designate certain areas for certain uses.
She also acknowledged that off-highway vehicle riders have damaged parts of the watershed. There is little point in undertaking restoration unless there is greater education and understanding of the rules, accompanied by better enforcement, she said.
“It is a big problem. I don’t want to minimize that. It is a big problem, but at the same time there are responsible users that are respecting the land and are out there for legitimate reasons,” she said.
“They want to enjoy nature with their family and they’re not de-stroying anything.”
In making their request to government, the conservation groups said off-highway vehicle use creates more erosion and runoff into streams and rivers originating in the mountains, which deteriorates water quality.
Water from these headwaters makes up 90 percent of the amount available to downstream users, which include towns, cities and farms.
