The Grasslands Conservation Council of British Columbia, in partnership with the Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection facilitated the development of this document with a wide range of commercial and non-commercial recreation interests. The BMP document was developed with input and careful review from over 40 organizations, which included a stakeholder workshop, held in September 2003 near Merritt B.C., resulting in a comprehensive code of practice developed by the user, for the user.
The BMP document focuses on:
The purpose of the best management practices document is to provide stewardship guidelines for recreational activities in BC's interior grasslands so that damage to sensitive grassland habitats, and the species that inhabit them, is minimized or prevented. Healthy grasslands are important to us all. They support a variety of plants and animals, provide high quality grazing for livestock, and offer many excellent recreation opportunities for visitors and residents. Well-managed recreational activities can help to minimise changes to grasslands that threaten wild plants and animals. As a grasslands user, you can make a difference; many recreationists, ranchers, naturalists and others are already finding ways to help keep grasslands healthy.
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Grasslands in British Columbia are very diverse; consequently, the BMPs pilot project will focus on the grasslands of the Thompson and Okanagan Basins.
This project will involve developing specific BMPs for the different types of grasslands found in these regions such as the Bunchgrass, Fescue, Sagebrush and Antelope-brush dominated grasslands. Furthermore, BMPs for key plant community and species associations will be developed with emphasis placed on BC's red- and blue- listed wildlife species.
In late September, 2003, the project team and Dovetail Consulting held a one-day workshop at Quilchena Hotel, just outside of Merritt. Over 35 stakeholders attended the workshop to help further develop the BMP document. The purpose of the workshop was to:
Other Recreation Projects:
BMP Pocketbook: Best Management Practices for Motorized Recreation on BC’s Grasslands
Building on the success of the foundational BMP document, the GCC developed an educational ‘pocketbook’ pamphlet specifically for motorized recreation groups, commercial operators and individuals. The BMP pocketbook for motorized recreation groups is a full-colour, sleek publication that addresses the impacts of motorized recreation on grasslands and strategies to limit those impacts. The brochure was designed to be user-friendly and fit into the front shirt pocket of ORV enthusiasts for easy reference.
Similar to the BMP document, the BMP pocketbook for motorized recreation was developed in consultation with motorized recreation and other interests – including ATV/BC, the BC Snowmobile Federation, the Pacific Northwest Motorcycle Association and the Invasive Plant Society – to ensure this educational piece speaks to the users effectively. 2000 copies of the BMP brochure were distributed to government and user groups, and the demand for more was so high that, with the help of several contributing partners, 20,000 copies were printed for a second distribution by the GCC, Ministry of Tourism, Sport and the Arts, Ministry of Forests and Range, Integrated Land Management Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, ATV/BC, BC Snowmobile Federation, the Land Conservancy of BC, the Canadian Off-Highway Vehicle Distributors Council and the Southern Interior Weed Management Committee. For information on where to get copies of the booklet, please contact the GCC.
Mountain Biking on BC’s Grasslands
The GCC has been part of a task force helping guide the development of a provincial strategy for mountain biking on crown land. The GCC’s involvement has had to do with ensuring that users are aware of the sensitivities of grasslands when building trails and riding within grasslands. The provincial strategy is in draft form, with several pilot projects, one taking place in the Cariboo on grasslands. The GCC will monitor this project and the effects that the trail standards (taken from the International Mountain Biking Association) have on sensitive grassland soils and plants and make recommendations for the final strategy. The GCC is also planning on developing a similar BMP pocketbook for mountain bike riders using grasslands, and has formed a committee with members of local bike clubs and naturalists groups to help with both the strategy and the pocketbook.
Best Management Practices (full document) Download PDF
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