I would like to commend the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) on their efforts to conserve and restore the endangered and fragile grasslands on their property in Lac du Bois.

Both the Froleks and NCC have been involved with the Grasslands Conservation Council of B.C. (GCC) for several years, and the decision to protect this important grassland area through purchase and conservation covenants was a tremendous contribution to the conservation of B.C.’s grasslands.

Allowing the Froleks to continue grazing the land in a well-managed way is a win-win for the environment and the ranching community; fencing this property to stop further degradation through abusive recreation was a great decision.

The motorized off-road vehicles that have been accessing this land illegally (knowingly or unknowingly) have been causing damage to a sensitive ecosystem that will take decades to recover. The fact that NCC is opening their private land to the public for non-motorized recreation provides another great opportunity (alongside Lac du Bois Provincial Park) for people to get out and enjoy our grasslands.

For riders who want to go out into legal areas and ride, the GCC and partners in the motorized community created a great booklet on how to minimize or eliminate impacts on grasslands. It’s available on the www.bcgrasslands.org website. The key points are: stay on the trail, pay attention to signage so you know you’re not trespassing and clean your vehicle to make sure you’re not spreading weeds as you go. This goes to all recreationists – hikers and mountain bikers too, but motorized vehicles obviously have more of a long-lasting impact.

The GCC encourages you to get out there and enjoy our grasslands responsibly. For an opportunity to check out the NCC property and other great grassland areas around Kamloops, join us on June 12 for our 10-year celebration.

TASHA SARGENT

Stewardship Planner

Grasslands Conservation Council of B.C.