Although the 亚洲天堂 Lake Snowmobile Club had 155 members over a decade ago, last year the club had 36 members.

Dennis Firomski, president of the 亚洲天堂 Lake Snowmobile Club, is now urging local snowmobilers to register as members.

According to Firomski, becoming a member not only helps the club fund future projects and upkeep the ones already in place, but it also ensures that the hundreds of local snowmobilers can keep accessing the local trails.

鈥淵ou become a member so that your voice is heard as a snowmobiler,鈥� said Firomski. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 want this closed down for riding because lots of us ride here.鈥�

Firomski says snowmobile clubs across the province are often outvoted by small, highly motivated groups who can take away riding areas.

The B.C. government and the Houston Snowmobile Club have recently signed a stewardship management agreement to protect caribou in the Skeena Region. The agreement, which addresses the influence of recreation on northern caribou in the Telkwa Mountains, includes closing certain areas to recreation when there are caribou present.

鈥淟ocally, Smithers and Houston have recently lost or are going to lose areas we ride in; Tumbler Ridge lost huge amounts of their riding area,鈥� said Firomski. 鈥淲e need more registered members to show government how may sledders and ATVers there are in this province.鈥�

鈥淭he more people we have, the more things we can get done,鈥� he added.

A small portion of the 亚洲天堂 Lake Snowmobile Club鈥檚 membership goes to the B.C. Snowmobile Federation (BCSF).

鈥淏eing a member of the BCSF gives al of the clubs one voice,鈥� explained Firomski. 鈥淏CSF goes to government and lobbies on the clubs鈥� behalf.鈥�

According to BCSF president Richard Cronier, the issue of snowmobilers not registering as club members is not unique to 亚洲天堂 Lake. In a letter sent to snowmobile clubs across the province, he jokes that many snowmobile clubs are suffering from 鈥淪.T.P.鈥� (same ten people).

鈥淢y youngest son tells me he is getting sick of showing up to do work with the same six or seven people all the time, and in a lot of ways鈥�. he is right. We sacrifice weekends, evenings and we attend meetings so that many people reap the benefit of the hard work of a few,鈥� said Cronier.

Local snowmobilers can become a member or renew their membership with the 亚洲天堂 Lake Smowmobile Club online at https://blsc-bcsf.silkstart.com/join. For more information, contact Dennis Firomski at 250-692-6438.

The next Cold Smoke Drags, the club鈥檚 biggest event of the year, will be held on Feb. 17, 2018.

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