Grasslands crackdown begins now
The province is vowing to get tough on individuals who continually use grasslands near Lac du Bois to dump garbage or for illegal off-roading. Anyone caught using vehicles in the closed area could now be facing fines between $230 and $100,000 and jail time for damaging the delicate ecosystem.
Email
Print
Letter to Editor
Share
Updated: June 26, 2009 4:51 PM
First came the carrot, now comes the stick.
The province is vowing to get tough on individuals who continually use grasslands near Lac du Bois to dump garbage or for illegal off-roading.
Anyone caught using vehicles in the closed area could now be facing fines between $230 and $100,000 and jail time for damaging the delicate ecosystem.
The province will be posting more signs and increasing patrols in the area.
Fines of $345 will also be handed out to anyone defacing or destroying a sign.
The area west of Lac Du Bois Road between the zero- and five-kilometre markers has been closed to motor-vehicle traffic for more than two decades to protect wildlife habitat.
It is believed the the province's grasslands are home to 30 per cent of B.C.'s species at risk.
While the ministries of Forest and Range and Environment have been using an educational approach to curb the area's use, the days of playing nice are over.
Kamloops-North Thompson Liberal MLA Terry Lake said the problem has been mounting for years, but warnings will no longer be issued.
"We need to send a very strong message," he said.
The crackdown comes after a volunteer group in May, which included Lake, removed dump-truck loads of garbage from the grasslands.
"The amount of stuff hauled out is staggering," he said.
Everything from household appliances, sofas and construction waste was being dumped.
Lake believes it won't take long for people to get the message and stop once fines are handed out.
There is an area that remains open to off-road vehicles east of Lac du Bois Road at the two-kilometre mark.
v2
