Off-road vehicle open house

Residents of the Okanagan are invited to discuss the impact of off-road vehicles on the environment next week.

The Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource operations will be holding two open houses; one in Osoyoos on March 11 and one in Oliver on March 12, to discuss sensitive ecosystems on Oliver Mountain and the West Bench of Osoyoos.

Each open house will include a presentation on grassland ecosystems and give attendees an opportunity to suggest management options for minimizing environmental impacts.

The dates and locations of the open houses are:

Sonora Community Centre in Osoyoos - Wednesday, March 11 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. 

Elks Lodge in Oliver - Thursday, March 12 from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

In the interim, to help protect habitat on Oliver Mountain and the Osoyoos West Bench, ORV users are encouraged to use two other riding areas instead.

The Bear Creek and Okanagan Falls ORV trail systems are located nearby and are well established.

Ministry staff are also interested in hearing from ORV riders about other less environmentally sensitive areas that may be suitable for riding.

The Ministry says ORV use is expanding in the Okanagan region and its effects on 11 priority ecosystems and 17 federally listed species-at-risk have increased.  

The focus is to protect the Oliver Mountain and Osoyoos West Bench ecosystems while allowing riders to continue enjoying their sport at other sites in the South Okanagan.

Learn more about the trails by following these links:

Bear Creek ORV trails.

Okanagan Falls ORV trails.