Limited ATV access to 108 Greenbelt proposed

A proposal to allow ATVs limited access to the 108 Greenbelt was met with fierce resistance at a public consultation meeting last week.

About 80 people attended the consultation, hosted at the 108 Community Center on April 17, to hear the proposal from the 108 ATV Club and ATV BC. They included members of the public, bird watchers, environmental groups and representatives of pipeline and energy company Enbridge.

During the presentation, Mark Redl, president of the 108 ATV Club, outlined proposed changes to the bylaws governing access to the Greenbelt. Under current statutes, access of all types of motor vehicles is prohibited to protect the mix of forests, grasslands and wetlands and to prevent forest fires

“I’m trying to help the businesses in this town survive and thrive and whatever by offering ATV tourism,” said Redl, the president of the 108 ATV club.

The club is considering building two corridors through the Greenbelt that would connect to the Gold Rush Snowmobile Trail (GRST) – which runs between Clinton and Likely, B.C. The GRST is also seen as an essential link for tourism in the Cariboo region.

The two corridors would run from the West Beach parking lot to the 108 Resort, located next to the pipeline, while the other would go from the emergency exit towards Tatton Station Road, cutting through the Greenbelt, which includes Walker Valley, an area to the west. from 108 Mile Ranch.

Many who came to the meeting were firmly against the proposal.

Paul Foth, a bird watcher from the 108 Mile Ranch, spoke on behalf of the birds when he expressed his opposition. Foth listed endangered bird species as classified by the BC government that live in or around the Greenbelt to illustrate the damage ATVs can cause to their habitats.

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“Bird populations are particularly sensitive to disturbance from motorized vehicles, and in particular some of the proposed priority areas are close to sensitive habitat, especially number two, which runs through the grasslands,” Foth said.

Meanwhile, Kelly Griffith, a land and community consultant for Enbridge, stated that ATVs on the pipeline right-of-way would violate Canadian Energy Regulator (CER) regulations. These regulations prohibit motorized vehicles from driving near the pipeline unless permission is given by the company.

“Enbridge’s position would be not to allow this,” Griffith noted.

John Blinston, president of ATV BC, said they are willing to negotiate a solution that takes these groups’ concerns into account.

“We would certainly like comments and direction from the other groups so that we can or can gain access to avoid sensitive areas,” Blinston said.

Redl said compromises must go both ways. He expressed frustration that those who raised concerns were unwilling to negotiate. While he acknowledged that ATVs can and do have an impact on the environment, he pointed out that so do many other activities and practices.

“You saw (during the meeting) that they were not willing to listen, they were not willing to adapt — they wanted what they wanted,” Redl said.

Al Richmond, the director of Area G of the Cariboo Regional District (CRD), which covers the 108 Mile Ranch, chaired the meeting. He said he received about 65 submissions from members of the public expressing their views.

“I was surprised by the letters I received from the county birding community – who come here because of Walker Valley.”

Richmond says the next steps will be to submit all the notes to the commission, which will review them and decide if a bylaw change is needed. If so, another public meeting will take place.

Redl is not optimistic that the bylaws will be changed, based on the responses at this meeting.