Recreation

The critical winter range of mountain caribou overlaps considerably with backcountry recreation activities such as helicopter skiing, snow-cat skiing, and snowmobiling. Technological advances, a rapid increase in commercial recreation tenures, and unregulated access has recently led to too many people spending winter play time in the caribou's critical winter ranges.

Commercial recreation enterprises have unprecedented access to BC's wilderness. Research shows this adds additional stress to caribou already being squeezed by habitat fragmentation, and at a vulnerable time of the year due to the increased energy demands of winter.

Instead of regulating BC's backcountry recreation industries and setting clear, enforceable standards, the BC government continues to rely on voluntary "best management practices" to reduce impacts to caribou and other sensitive wildlife.

The recovery plan for mountain caribou has not yet taken any action to regulate the impact of helicopters on mountain caribou herds and their habitat. This still needs to be addressed. Legal snowmobile closures now cover about half of identified caribou habitat. While this represents a step in the right direction it is still falls short of what is required to effectively protect some critical habitat areas.