Red Deer/Tumbler Area NEEDS HELP!!!

[Himark]

BC Forestry has finally booted everyone out of the Red Deer area. All cabins/emergency shelters have been issued tresspassing notices and are to be removed. Not a big surprise but hurts nonetheless. What is a surprise is why. There have been complaints issued by a woodland caribou study group. They feel we are impeding on the woodland caribou of the area. This should be a HUGE red flag to anyone who uses the area for recreation. I am fighting to keep my cabin but I think there is a bigger picture here. I am now fighting to use the area. I don't doubt the forestry may be looking at another park in the area. I am all for wildlife but we as sledders/quadders aren't the ones driving wildlife away. Industry plays a bigger role than us.

I have begun the initial stages of a snowmobile club for the area. This way, we can not only have a few emergency shelters, we can continue to enjoy the area without giving it up to a park or at least work together.

There will be fee's (membership/trail passes) this will only go to the costs of insurance and gov, for we wont have groomers and such. Trail maintenance we already handle. I am learning as we go along here.

We need bodies. I have obtained the BCSF (BC Snowmobile Federation) paperwork to get the ball rolling. I need names to put on it for members. So far it looks as though we have 30 or so people.

The more the better...and cheaper for us all.

I am willing to do whatever it takes. I was at BC Front Counter yesterday speaking with Layne Lyebert (land affairs). It looks as though we don't have any land acts against us...this is a good thing! No first nation land as well.

He is still investigating on my behalf.

If anyone has any questions please feel free to ask, if anyone knows anything about starting a club...please help, if you would like to contribute/help PM me. I just need names and ph#'s now.

Thank you for your time,

Ryan Lamming

you can email me:

wawaishome@yahoo.ca

 

[Himark]

I have contacted Chris Dell with the TR Riders awaiting to hear back from him. I wonder if we could join forces? Or even expand what they currently have? No idea how this works....lol

 

[koby]

I have contacted Chris Dell with the TR Riders awaiting to hear back from him. I wonder if we could join forces? Or even expand what they currently have? No idea how this works....lol

You beat me to it. Just PM'ed you suggesting exactly that.

 

[Himark]

haha...my spidey senses were tinglin.....lol

 

[JLARSH]

Count me in Ryan. I think that the sledders in this area should join forces as one club. This would include riders from GP,FSJ,Dawson Creek,Tumbler Ridge,Chetwynd and Mackenzie. Maybe have chapters for each specific area? I know myself and riding buddies use all these areas and I believe that 90% of the other riders do to. The more people we have the stronger voice right? Instead of a small group fighting for one area I think it makes more sense to a large group fighting for all areas.

 

[dumbassracing]

count me in ill pm you my info. thanks

 

[tavis43]

where are you talking about? in tumbler?

 

[Himark]

power in numbers no doubt. waiting to hear back from the tumbler club, fsj club has been contacted as well. once a speak with those people i will have a better understanding on what to do. appreciate the help peeps! cant let them take all of our riding spots away.

 

[Riverjet]

where are you talking about? in tumbler?

 

[WhiteDragon]

I will do what I can to help you out. I have contacts with the BCSF, and with the zone director for this area.
There are a number of snowmobile clubs in the area, including one in FSJ, one in Dawson Creek, one in Tumbler Ridge, and one in Chetwynd. They are all BCSF. There is also one in Grande Prairie, which is ASA.
From a previous posting, I noticed that Tumbler Ridge had only 25 members last year. This needs to increase.

 

[YamaDoo PolCat]

Removing your cabins and shelters doesn't sound fair?
For example we used to be able to ride a local area east of Prince George called the Sugar Bowl and Grizzly Den. Then the skier decided the area was too good to share and kicked the sleds out. Three cabins were built, and two were up in the alpine.
This is a Mountain Caribou habitat and we used to see the animals running around the area on a regular basis.
About three years ago the Species at Risk Group banded all snowmobiling except for two area, out of the thirty two we identified as used by snowmobilers. So now we have next to nothing to ride. We get to watch from the road as the wolves kill off the rest of the caribou now.
HOWEVER! All the cabins used by any skier group were allowed to stay in the alpine. Their cabins called the Farm, Evanoff, Red Mountain, Grizzly Den were all in high value Mountain Caribou habitat, and all remain untouched and not under threat of removal.
Snowmobiling, not heli-ski, not trapper, not skiers, not backpackers, are the only indentifyable winter users that are being targeted. The snowmobile community has the least impact on the environment of all the winter visitors, but everything is politics, and snowmobilers are the easiest ones to pick on.
Ask your local polititians and civil servants why everyone but snowmobilers gets to keep their cabins and safety shelters? They hate us enough to risk our lives? They are jealous of the experience and enjoyment we get from traveling in the backcountry, or what?

 

[sscamaro_skwark]

so, can we not have several locals become trappers, skiers, backpackers, adventurers to maintain some cabins/riding areas?
I am not from the area at all, but I love the outdoors, not to mention the mountains, as far as I am concerned can one not scout areas as a trapper/backpacker/etc & have a few cabins? Just a thought, although the sledding industry has been hit the most by everything, emissions, ridings areas, etc
I know of a few people that create problems for wildlife in Sask, but the large majority stay clear of them. There is more wildlife lost due to highways/cars/trucks than ever possible by sleds. Not to mention the effects of emissions on the enviroment is WAY MORE SUBSTANTIAL DUE TO VEHICLES/MANUFACTURING, & yet it is sleds that are hit the hardest. We sledders are being squeezed out, & for what reason? Just my .02 cents

 

[Trent in Tumbler]

Ryan:

Ridge Riders AGM happens tomorrow. I'll talk to Chris and find out what his take on this is. I think the issue of lack of members is a more pressing concern...