Fish And Wildlife.

[gravelman]

I am perrty chocked at all facets of the government.I sent an email to several different address about some idiots driving in the highwood river 2 months ago i have heard back from only one and that was to tell me that the person who deals with it was on holidays and when they get back they might look at it. What really has got to me now is that on sunday when i went to this spot there were several more tire tracks in the river and upon closer examinnation there apperead to be bull trout reds in this area. There were probally 2 dozen spots cleaned out in this area which apperead to be reds. I will head down there all three days this weekend and if i come across this jack@$$ and i am going to phone the rap line and see if they do anything. As far as i am concernerd this is just as bad as poaching and should be dealt with the same.

[gravelman]

In the end all that i want them to do is set up some of those concrete lego blocks so they cant get through. Alls they need is about 10 of them and a cherry picker to set them up. To maybe save the river from further idiots.

[clarki]

is it unlawful to cross a river in your vehicle? just wondering. later

 

M

[steelhead]

Catchem for us. You are correct that the true poachers are the ones destroting the river with ATV's.

 

 

Your work at trying to stop this will pay off and you will see a fitting end.

 

 

At least poachers eat the 20 or 30 fish a year they get, not let whole generations of fish die of suffocation and lack of protection.

 

 

Steelhead

[mkm]

Gravelman,

 

I witnessed the same thing four weeks ago on the highwood. I wasn't sure about the rules governing this type of behavior and totally forgot about the incident until you mentioned it now. If you do get somewhere with this let me know because I still remember a fairly good description of the idiots and their truck. Keep us posted.

 

mkm

[ladystrange]

i asked the whole legal question in july to a few fish n feathers down in the carbondale area.

 

the 5 jerk offs and their atvs and dirt bikes kept crossing the river, back and forth, we were fishing above then and it go to the point that when the dirt bike guy stalled in the river, we cheered because they all had to get off, wade in to the river and pull the dumbass out. which would have been fine except it was a 2 stroke, puking fuel/oil mix into the river.

 

the co basically said, it all has to do with trails. as long as the riders are on a trail, they are fine. in some cases there are trails but no bridges, if there is a bridge in the area, they have to use it, because the bridge is part of the trail. they CANNOT ride up or down stream, but they can cross through a river. if they go off a trail and are caught, there are some steep fines.

 

they seemed to more concerned about guys riding on the road away from the trails than through the rivers.

[Harps]

Call the environmental spill line (enviro emergency line)

 

1-800-222-6514

(#7378 on cell)

 

ATVs leak oil, and that is a deposit of deleterious substance as per Sec 36 of the Fisheries Act.

Environment Canada and/or Alberta Environment have to respond.

 

Also call the Rap line and the local F&W office, Fisheries and Oceans, the RCMP (Reckless driving??), and the minister.

 

We need to have public pressure to get gov't action!!!

[Harps]

Plus if you get a picture (of the plate), send it to an insurance agency, maybe treating their own vehicles like that will get their insurance bumped.

Alberta Insurance Rate Board Contact

 

Alberta Government Automobile Insurance contacts

 

All off hwy vehicles have to be insured in the forestry; maybe if we hit them in the wallet for an environmental destruction premium.

 

 

The only other way is to put legislation like BC did (on another post).

[Pipestoneflyguy]

Also - if you get pics and plates post em on the 4x4 sites - alot of those folks (the responsible ones) are looking to do anything possible to protect their own access rights, sometimes a few corrective measures from within their own ranks is what is needed. (and members of those sites recognize the dire need to squish the bad apples per se)

 

With their recent loss of access to many previously accessable areas a number of these guys are taking matters into their own hands - without being any more blatant, the repercussions within their own ranks are often a better motivator than the threat of a CO catching them or an insurance bump.

[rhuseby]

A question on location. Was this inside the K country boundary or downstream in the ranch country? If it was upstream, then vehicles aren't allowed off-road at all in the Highwood drainage. Try contacting the Kananaskis Emergency Center and have them get hold of the duty CO for the area. There is at least one on duty almost all of the time from May to September and they will deal that sort of stuff asap. If it was downstream, then there really aren't a lot of restrictions other than the pollution stuff already pointed out and just plain old public pressure. That could change if enough people pressure their mla, so lets get on it people.

[ladystrange]

my incident was on the carbondale river, downstream of the adanak road and carbondale road junction and upstream of the shell rig.

 

(the forestry road that is the back road in to hillcrest/side something or other? and blairmore, south of hwy 3, west of 507)

 

i usually have my camera with me, good idea, i'll take pics next time.

 

as for insurance... that's what i do no car, but the adjustors a few rows over, most shrug, they don't care as long as the premium is paid, it is up to the underwriters, and most of them don't care either.

[gravelman]

down stream