It’s been nearly a month since the Active Riding Areas in the South Peace closed to snowmobiling.
The closure affects three riding area in the Tumbler Ridge area—Holzworth Meadows, Windfall Lake and Tunnel Mountain—as well as another five areas in the Pine Pass/Burnt River area.
With so much of the area permanently closed to sledding, many riders are wondering what’s taking so long.
According to the BC Snowmobile Federation (BCSF), they, as well as the local snowmobile clubs in the South Peace region—including the Tumbler Ridge Riders, Rocky Mountain Ridge Riders in Mackenzie, and Pine Valley Trail Blazers in Chetwynd—are currently awaiting the renewal of permits for Active Management Areas, zones designed to balance snowmobiling access with caribou habitat protection.
The Adaptive Management and Access Program is “an innovative approach to land management, allowing for flexible access based on caribou activity. This system was developed through collaboration between the BCSF, local snowmobile clubs, government agencies, First Nations, and other stakeholders to protect sensitive ecosystems while maintaining recreational opportunities.
People looking to ride in these areas must be part of one of the local snowmobile clubs mentioned above that hold an exemption permit, and must carry proof of membership while riding.
“Active management areas can be open or closed at different points of the season depending on whether caribou are currently present in the area,” writes the BCSF. “Various information sources, including GPS locations from collars on caribou and incidental caribou sightings, are used to update the status of active management areas.”
However, the current closure has lasted since January 23, with no news on when or even if the permits will be granted.
“Permit renewals are part of the established process to continue public snowmobile recreation within these zones,” wrote the BCSF in an update last month. “The applications have been submitted to the government, and local clubs are ready to proceed as soon as approvals are granted.”
Steve Larrivee, president of the Tumbler Ridge Ridge Riders, says the permits were supposed to be for two years, but got cancelled without warning six months early.
“For some reason they shut the active management areas down after 18 months and failed tell anyone,” he says.
The clubs have re-applied for permits, but have yet to hear back on when they might get the permits. Larrivee says the process can take up to three months.
The map shows the nine riding areas in the South Peace Management Area—Silver Sands, Powder King, Murray, Hasler, Upper Burnt East, Watson, Tunnel Mountain, Windfall Lake, and Holzworth Meadows, all of which have been closed to riding since January 23.
Trent is the publisher of Tumbler RidgeLines.
