Motorized Recreation (Snow-free): Alpine/Tundra, Forest, and Grasslands

Introduction

  • The following results, desired behaviours, indicators, and limits apply in addition to any relevant policies or regulations; for example, area-based closures and existing statutes.
  • Concerns are ranked according to the potential risk to wildlife and their habitats, where "potential" is defined as the probability that the activity will result in either the alteration or destruction of habitat, or the temporary or permanent abandonment of habitat, in the absence of guidelines or statutes.
  • "Motorized vehicles" are those intended for use off public roadways during the snow-free season, including "quads", 4x4 trucks, sport utility vehicles, and trail bikes.
  • Guidelines are summarized by:
    • Results - What the guidelines are attempting to achieve.
    • Desired Behaviours - Actions by users that are most likely to achieve the specified results.
    • Indicators - What should be measured to determine if the specified results are being achieved.
    • Limits - Acceptable bounds related to the measured indicator.
  • Results and Desired Behaviours are identified for low-risk issues.
  • Results, Desired Behaviours, Indicators and Limits are identified for high-risk issues.
  • NOTE: These guidelines have been produced as a means of ensuring that environmental values and tourism recreational activities can co-exist on the landscape. Tourism operators may find these guidelines useful and may choose to adopt them. However, if the licensee chooses to use a different strategy, and it is accepted by government, the licensee must undertake an effectiveness monitoring program. The Tenure Management Plan must reflect a commitment to the monitoring program, and opportunities to partner with government may be explored.
  • Safety remains the first priority under all circumstances.

1. Degradation of Soil, Air, and Water Quality

Concern: Air pollution

Results

Desired Behaviours
  • Minimize air pollution.
  • Use low-emission engines (e.g., 4-stroke or efficient 2-stroke).
  • Keep engines well tuned.
  • Avoid idling.

Concern: Water pollution

Results

Desired Behaviours
  • Avoid water pollution.
  • Pack out all garbage.
  • Use existing facilities for human waste, pack it out, or bury it in holes 10 to 15 cm deep located at least 100 m from water sources (use group latrines at least 30 cm deep for parties of more than 4 persons).
  • Use existing bridges and structures to cross streams, or cross at right angles away from spawning areas where the substrate particle size is cobble or larger or bedrock.
  • Minimize use of pesticides and herbicides near waterways.

Concern: Fuel spills

Results

Desired Behaviours
  • Avoid fuel spills.


Concern: Soil compaction and erosion

Results

Desired Behaviours

Indicators

Limits
  • Minimize soil compaction off established trails.
  • Minimize erosion associated with trails.
  • Use existing roads and wide trails.
  • Avoid widening existing trails.
  • Ride single file.
  • Avoid poorly placed trails (e.g., steep grades with soft substrates).
  • Avoid off-trail muddy conditions.
  • Use rock and gravel trails where possible.
  • Avoid traveling on existing trails that show evidence of erosion.
  • Obey all signs and area closures.
  • Existing path widths.
  • Trail braiding.
  • Evidence of erosion associated with existing trails.
  • No net increase in trail density caused by motorized vehicles.
  • No net increase in existing trail widths caused by motorized vehicles.
  • No erosion near waterways or in sensitive sites caused by motorized vehicles.

Concern: Bank erosion and siltation

Results

Desired Behaviours

Indicators

Limits
  • Protect living and non-living substrates.
  • Minimize bank erosion.
  • Use existing bridges and structures to cross streams, or cross at right angles away from spawning areas where the substrate particle size is cobble or larger including bedrock.
  • Avoid trails close to waterways.
  • Trail use near waterways.
  • Evidence of siltation near crossings.
  • No net increase in trails near waterways or waterway crossings caused by motorized vehicles.
  • No evidence of persistent siltation near or downstream of crossings caused by motorized vehicles.

2. Integrity of Vegetation Communities

Concern: Invasive species

Results

Desired Behaviours

Indicators

Limits
  • Minimize spread of invasive plant species (weeds).
  • Use existing trails where possible.
  • Learn to identify invasive plants
  • Inspect clothing, equipment, vehicles, and pets for plant parts before and after activity.
  • Incinerate or bag and dispose of collected plant parts.
  • Obey all signs and area closures.
  • Leave gates as you found them.
  • Restrict use of areas with invasive plants to times of year when spread is unlikely (i.e., The period from flowering through seed dispersal).
  • Invasive plants should generally be cut at the ground if pulling is likely to result in dispersal of seed.
  • Avoid grazing animals in infested areas.
  • Extent and frequency of invasive species occurrence within 5 m of existing trails.
  • No net increase in invasive species stem densities caused by motorized vehicles.
  • No net increase in spatial extent of current infestations caused by motorized vehicles.


Concern: Soil compaction

Results

Desired Behaviours

Indicators

Limits
  • Protect vegetative cover and root systems.
  • Use existing roads and wide trails where they exist.
  • Avoid widening existing trails.
  • Avoid off-trail muddy conditions.
  • Use rock and gravel trails where possible.
  • Obey all signs and area closures.
  • Avoid traveling on existing trails that show evidence of erosion.
  • With the exception of invasive plants, do not pick or pull vegetation.
  • Do not bury garbage, pack it out.
  • Existing path widths.
  • Trail braiding.
  • No net increase in trail density caused by motorized vehicles.
  • No net increase in existing trail widths caused by motorized vehicles.

Concern: Damage to sensitive sites (Are these in my operating area?)

Results

Desired Behaviours

Indicators

Limits
  • Protect habitats of endangered wildlife species and ecosystems.
  • Protect sensitive ecosystems (grasslands, alpine/tundra and moist-soil ecosystems such as riparian areas and wetlands).
  • Protect nesting/ calving sites.
  • Learn to identify endangered species and ecosystems within the operating area.
  • Operate in a manner that is consistent with government’s approved approach to recovery planning for species at risk.
  • Use existing roads and wide trails.
  • Avoid riding when conditions are muddy.
  • Use rock and gravel trails where possible.
  • Obey all signs and area closures.
  • Do not break or trample vegetation in riparian areas.
  • Avoid known nesting/calving sites (seasonal closures might be necessary).
  • Do not damage wildlife trees.
  • Damage to sensitive sites.
  • Damage to vegetated alpine/tundra and grasslands beyond existing trail network.
  • No vegetation damage in sensitive sites or vegetated alpine/tundra and grasslands beyond existing trails caused by motorized vehicles.

3. Direct Disturbance of Wildlife

Concerns: Physiological and behavioural disruption, displacement from preferred habitats; direct mortality, habituation/sensitization

Results

Desired Behaviours

Indicators

Limits
  • Minimize physiological and behavioural disruption.
  • Minimize changes in habitat use.
  • Record wildlife encounters, actions taken and responses of animals.
  • Remain on established trails.
  • Obey all signs and area closures.
  • Do not harass wildlife.
  • Do not feed wildlife.
  • Do not handle wildlife.
  • Do not allow dogs to be at large and harass wildlife.
  • Pack out all garbage.
  • Yield to wildlife on trails and roads.
  • Turn off engine, remain on machine and yield to wildlife on trails and roads.
  • Focus activities in areas and times of year when wildlife are least likely to be disturbed (seasonal closures might be necessary).
  • Stay at distances sufficient to prevent changes to the behaviour of animals (at least 500 m in open areas is the default for large mammals).
  • Proportion of encounters resulting in an alarm response (movement by animals, usually to safer locations).
  • Population abundance and distribution trends of wildlife species. 
  • No increase in rate of alarm responses over time caused by motorized vehicles.
  • No harassment caused by motorized vehicles.
  • No abandonment of habitats caused by motorized vehicles.

4. Integrity of Fisheries Resources

Concern: Damage to fish populations and habitats

Results

Desired Behaviours
  • Protect fish populations and habitat.

5. Special Management

Concern: Mountain Caribou (Are these in my operating area?)

Results

Desired Behaviours

Indicators

Limits
  • Record wildlife encounters, actions taken and responses of animals.
  • Remain on established trails.
  • Obey all signs and area closures.
  • Do not harass wildlife.
  • Do not feed wildlife.
  • Control dogs at all times.
  • Minimize activity in and near identified high-use areas (seasonal closures might be necessary).
  • Stay at distances sufficient to prevent changes to the behaviour of animals (at least 500 m in open areas is the default for large mammals).
  • Follow recommendations of Recovery Planning for Mountain Caribou.
  • Encounter frequency.
  • Proportion of encounters resulting in an alarm response.
  • Population abundance and distribution trends of subpopulations.
  • No increase in rate of alarm responses over time caused by motorized vehicles.
  • No purposeful harassment caused by motorized vehicles.
  • No abandonment of habitats caused by motorized vehicles.

Concern: Calving areas, nesting sites (Are these in my operating area?)

Results

Desired Behaviours

Indicators

Limits
  • Minimize physiological or behavioural disruption of wildlife during critical calving/ nesting periods.
  • Continued occupation by wildlife of critical calving/nesting habitat.
  • Remain on established trails.
  • Obey all signs and area closures.
  • Do not harass wildlife.
  • Do not feed wildlife.
  • Control dogs at all times.
  • Minimize activity in and near known calving/nesting areas (seasonal closures might be necessary).
  • Stay at distances sufficient to prevent changes to the behaviour of animals ( at least 500 m in open areas is the default for large mammals).
  • Continued occupancy of calving/nesting habitats.
  • No purposeful harassment caused by motorized vehicles.
  • Continued occupancy of known calving/ nesting habitats.