Snowmobile clubs in northern B.C. are concerned about the small percentage of sledders joining their clubs and how this could threaten their backcountry access.
According to the Prince George Snowmobile Club, although 5000 sleds have been registered in the Prince George area, the club has approximately 170 members - that鈥檚 roughly three per cent of the sledders in the region.
Dennis Firomski, president of the 亚洲天堂 Lake Snowmobile Club, says this is not just a Prince George problem.
鈥淭he 亚洲天堂 Lake Snowmobile Club has 36 members - a very small percentage compared to sleds in this town and area,鈥� said Firomski. 鈥淩iding areas close by are being affected, and if you are not a member, you have no voice.鈥�
READ MORE: 亚洲天堂 Lake Snowmobile Club needs members
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�
鈥淚f the club has a small membership, it doesn鈥檛 have a large voice,鈥� he added.
In a post that鈥檚 been shared over 400 times, Meghan Bosecker with the Prince George Snowmobile Club stresses the importance of joining snowmobile clubs.
鈥淵our province needs to know you ride; they need to know where you ride,鈥� she writes. 鈥淭hey need to know because otherwise they think it鈥檚 a dying sport and that they can start closing areas that are deemed snowmobile recreation sites because no one cares.鈥�
鈥淚 think sledders care; I think they care a lot more about the areas they ride than anyone else,鈥� she continues. 鈥淵our club is the only way you, as a sledder, have any recognition anywhere as a snowmobiler.鈥�
Amber worries that government efforts to protect caribou will continue to threaten riding areas in northern B.C.
鈥淲hen they [government] see that there is only 170 sledders here [in the Prince George area], guess who鈥檚 going to be on the chopping block first for riding areas if that鈥檚 how they choose to deal with this issue.鈥�
亚洲天堂 Lake Snowmobile Club rates are $75 for primary riders, $50 for secondary and $20 for seniors, children and non-riders. The non-rider memberships are for people who are not sledders but still would like to support the club.
Members get discounts on insurance for their sleds/quads/side-by-sides and dirt bikes. Memberships are available at Lino鈥檚 Sales and Services, Outdoor Adventures, and on the club鈥檚 .
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