Recreational Practices
Grasslands in BC provide a unique recreational opportunities. Their gently rolling landscapes that are easily accessible to recreationists living in communities in BC’s interior. Because of their open and gently rolling nature, grassland lend themselves to a variety of motorized activities. Riders of varying skill level can pursue a day of recreation in an attractive landscape. Besides being beautiful, grasslands are also sensitive and easily damaged. Recreation users need to become part of the solution for developing best management practices for grassland recreation.
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Off-Road Vehicle Coalition
Sales of off road vehicles (ORVs) in BC are growing in leaps and bounds. With approximately 150,000 ORVs in BC, the necessary policy tools and management strategies are required to monitor and manage off road grassland use. In the absence of licensing and registration, little can be done to insure the observance of designate and non-designated areas or encourage voluntary compliance. An effective management strategy begins with a means to identify ORV riders, track ORV activity, and promote responsible recreation and user-driven management. Furthermore, a good strategy will be economically self-sustaining and provide funds for the off road vehicle clubs themselves to administer management programs including safety, education, enforcement and compliance, responsible trail development and conservation and stewardship initiatives.
The Coalition for Licensing and Registration of Off Road Vehicles is now fully engaged with the provincial government on developing options for licensing and registration of off road vehicles. To learn more about licensing and registration of off road vehicles, click here.
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Best Management Practices for Motorized Recreation
The GCC in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, developed the Best Management Practices for Recreational Activities on Grasslands in the Thompson and Okanagan Basins document. Developed with input from more than 40 organizations, this comprehensive code of practices was created by the users, for the user. The Best Management Practices document is the starting point for organization and recreation groups, who can use the document to develop activity-specific brochures and other education tools. The extension of a voluntary code of practices to groups and individuals who use grasslands is the first step in achieving sustainable grasslands use. The Best Management Practices (BMP) Pocket book – a guide to safe and sustainable motorized recreation - has received incredible support and recognition from riders, government and conservation groups.
For more information on the Best Management Practices Pocketbook, click here.
Mountain Biking in BC
Mountain biking has been dramatically growing recreation on BC grasslands in recent years. Free-riding, defined as flowing single track trails with technical features such as jumps, berms, gaps, drops and ladder bridges along its path, is fast growing. Off-trail use impacts plant communities, and construction of poorly designed trails lead to dramatic erosion impacts.
In 2006, the GCC was actively involved in a focus group that was formed to help the provincial government create a strategy for mountain biking in BC. The GCC’s main role was to ensure that sensitive grassland were protected from irresponsible riding. The issue of grassland management was addressed within the pilot strategy that the province unveiled last fall trough the adoption of the International Mountain Bicycling Association Trail Standards. A pilot project will begin in a a grassland region in the Cariboo this summer and it will be monitored by the GCC to ensure it meets the necessary requirements to protect the sensitive soils and plants on grasslands. To learn more about this program, click here.
Tread Lightly
Tread Lightly! is a non-profit organization with a mandate to promote responsible outdoor recreation through education and restoration. Originally launched as a program of the US Forest Service in 1985, the organization moved to the private sector in 1990 to improve effectiveness and better meet its goals. Tread Lightly! Offers recreation tips for activities ranging from mountain biking to hunting to back country skiing. For more information on Tread Lightly! visit www.treadlightly.org.
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