Enviros, adventure guides, anglers, and local residents are worried that motorized recreation will soon take a toll on British Columbia’s famous wild lands. Following up on campaign promises to boost the economy, the province’s Liberal government has welcomed applications from tourism companies offering helicopter and caterpillar skiing, as well as snowmobile and all-terrain vehicle trips, into many of B.C.’s untouched rivers, mountains, and lakes. Susan Carson, a small resort owner in B.C.’s Cariboo region, says, “Can’t there be some places left where the animals won’t be disturbed by snowmobiles and helicopters?” Backcountry residents and hunters sometimes at odds with environmentalists are finding themselves on the same side in this case.
