Public meetings in Osoyoos and Oliver this week will address the use of off-road vehicles on the Osoyoos West Bench and Oliver Mountain.
The Oliver meeting is Thursday, March 12 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at Elks’ Lodge. Presentations will be at 7 p.m.
The meetings are being run by the B.C. Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations (FLNRO) in partnership with the South Okanagan Similkameen Conservation Program (SOSCP).
Bryn White, program manager at SOSCP, said the sessions will be both to inform the public and to seek input.
“FLNRO is really wanting to ensure that off-road vehicle users are aware of some of the ecological values and concerns around impacts of off-road vehicles on sensitive areas,” said White. “I think they are looking to promote best management practices with respect to off-road vehicles.”
These include promoting the use of alternate established areas for off-road vehicle use, she said, noting there is one near Kelowna at Bear Creek and another at Okanagan Falls.
The province is looking to see if an additional alternate site is feasible, she said, noting that Sawmill North, Crown land around Okanagan Mountain, is being considered for this.
The sessions will deal with all types of off-road vehicles. White said she hopes that people from clubs and organizations will attend and well as individual off-road users, members of the public and people who live near the areas used by off-road vehicles.
“We really want to open up the conversation and share some information and get some feedback as well,” she said.
White said she doesn’t expect the meetings to be confrontational because many off-road vehicle users are aware of the impact they have and the province has been working with stakeholder groups to identify areas that are designated for this activity.
“It’s really important for off-road vehicle users to understand where it is and where it is not appropriate to ride and what the best practices are,” she said. “We live in a very sensitive environment. There are grasslands and wetlands here that are very sensitive to human disturbance.”
One area that will be discussed is the area west of the Osoyoos town boundaries near the golf course, which is adjacent to provincial protected areas, she said.
“It’s an area that’s extremely important for grasslands ecosystems, species at risk and rare plants that occur nowhere else in British Columbia,” White said. “There are multiple federally listed species at risk. We want to talk with people about the sensitivity.”
Aside from using alternate designated off-road sites, White said other best practices include avoiding grasslands and wetlands, sticking to existing trails and avoiding “rooster tailing” and “hammer heading” or spinning out to turn up dirt or climbing steep embankments where it will cause erosion.
There will also be a discussion of new provincial legislation that will provide for the voluntary licensing and registration of off-road vehicles, she said.
“We’re really looking forward to having a conversation with the community,” White said.
Richard McGuire
Special to the Chronicle
