Two Albertans fined for snowmobiling in protected mountain caribou area near Revelstoke

Two Alberta snowmobilers are $1,600 out of pocket having been caught by a B.C. Conservation Officer Service helicopter riding in an area closed off to protect mountain caribou.

The two sledders were spotted during a conservation service helicopter patrol in the Queest mountain area between Revelstoke and the Sicamous. The officers first saw 25 mountain caribou before spotting them in the closed area.

According to a B.C. Conservation Officer social media post, the chopper landed and stopped the riders.

One rider was fined $748 for snowmobiling in a closed area and failing to produce documents and identification, while the other was fined $921 for operating a snowmobile in a closed area, failing to produce documents and identification and failing to display a number plate, decal or sticker of other jurisdiction.

"The Conservation Officer Service would like to remind the public that recreational snowmobiling in illegal areas can displace mountain caribou from high-quality winter habitat, impacting an already threatened population," the post reads.

The conservation service says areas across B.C. are closed to snowmobilers in order to protect critical mountain caribou, and officers will be conducting patrols throughout the winter.

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