Environmental Issues - Revelstoke Snowmobile Strategy

This section of the study will deal with two environmental issues which relate to snowmobiling: machine emissions and the effect of snowmobiling on wildlife.

Machine Emissions
In terms of assessing overall fuel and sound emissions, it is worth noting that the majority of snowmobiles ridden in Canada are manufactured in the United States. Canadian policy reflects this and becomes a form of de-facto standard ultimately established in the U.S. The main agency responsible for establishing standards in terms of these emissions is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It appears that the manufacturers, primarily through a national umbrella organization called the International Snowmobile Manufacturer Association (ISMA), are in regular correspondence with the agency to ensure compliance with these standards.

The burning of fossil fuels, particularly by two-cycle (or “two-stroke”) engine technology, appears to raise the most concern in terms of air and noise pollution. Almost all snowmobiles sold at present utilize two-cycle engine technology. There are varying views on the topic of two-cycle versus four-cycle engines, but it is generally conceded that the increasing use of four-cycle engine technology will serve to reduce the impact of air and sound emissions by snowmobiles on the environment. Some of the major snowmobile manufacturers now sell four-cycle snowmobiles and are meeting with positive demand in the marketplace. It is anticipated there will continue to be an increased presence of snowmobiles with four-cycle engines in future.

Considerable progress has been made to reduce sound emissions in both Canada and the U.S. The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Standard J192 was created specifically for snowmobiles, and restricts sound levels to 78 db at 50 feet during a wide-open-throttle pass. According to the Canadian Council of Snowmobile Organizations, the relative effect of this standard has reduced sound levels such that 256 of today’s snowmobiles, en masse, would be required to equal the sound level from a 1970 era machine*.

Regarding fuel emissions, no standards existed in Canada until recently to which these emissions could be measured. According to the CCSO, the SAE Paper 982017 titled “Development and Validation of Snowmobile Engine Emission Test Procedures”, published in 1998, is now the internationally accepted standard for these tests**. Also until recently, two-cycle engines have been limited in their ability to lower emission levels, particularly with respect to hydrocarbon emissions. Recent experimentation with direct injection two-cycle systems is producing considerable reductions in hydrocarbon emissions. This, in addition to the proliferation of four-cycle technology, is anticipated to reduce the environmental impact of snowmobile emissions.

* A Response The The Species at Risk Act, Brief Presented to the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development, Canadian Council for Snowmobile Organizations, April 2001
** Ibid.

Wildlife Impacts
Opinions vary widely on the degree of impact which snowmobiling has on wildlife populations, and the extent of disruption and displacement resulting from the activity. On the one hand, there are claims that snowmobiling is a catalyst for predator-prey imbalance, unnatural wildlife distribution, unnatural survival and energy imbalance. On the other hand, allegations include minimal impact (less than humans on foot), and some positive effects including the provision of an expanded feeding range (using trails or snowmobile tracks) and environmental stewardship programs aimed at raising funds for continued research. This uncertainty demonstrates the need for ongoing data collection and continued study in this area that will contribute to more informed decision-making.

A critical issue in the Revelstoke area is the situation related to mountain caribou. Due to the low population size, fragmented distribution, low reproductive rate, declining population trend and potential for conflicts with people, mountain caribou have been “red-listed” and classified as a threatened ecotype by the B.C. Conservation Data Centre (2001), and Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (2001) respectively. Recreational conflicts with mountain caribou occur mainly in high-elevation, late winter habitat. The open, subalpine fir parkland conditions that make ideal late winter caribou habitat have the same features that create “world class” snowmobiling and heli-skiing opportunities.

With improved access and equipment plus an increasing demand by the public and commercial enterprises, the potential for conflict between mountain caribou and winter recreationists has rapidly grown. The abandonment of some winter ranges by caribou while snowmobiling use dramatically increased has led to concern over compatibility. However, caribou range abandonment in the absence of snowmobiling and the continued use of some areas by caribou with snowmobiling suggests that there is a complex relationship between snowmobiling and mountain caribou. Recent studies on impacts of escorted ecotourist visits have found that woodland caribou spend more time standing and vigilant at the expense of time spent foraging and resting during disturbance periods. Research studies have indicated that, for elk, standing requires 25% more energy consumption than resting. Often this vigilant behaviour decreases as winter progresses. This decrease may reflect habituation or the fact that animals could not afford to maintain this response as their body condition deteriorated later in the winter.

Declines in the number of caribou in the Columbia Forest District (see Appendix C) along with alterations in the distribution of caribou over the last decade, suggest that some factor or combination of factors is having a negative effect on mountain caribou populations. Until more is known about the role of recreational disturbance in this trend, a cautious approach to any expansion of recreational use should be taken in late winter caribou habitat. In the interim, further recreational development should be focused outside the current identified range of mountain caribou.

To its credit, the local Snowmobile Club has taken an active role in recommending voluntarily closures of areas where there has been conflict with caribou, and the club has worked hard to develop signage, maps and information material to provide to visiting snowmobilers. The Society and the Club have also worked closely with provincial agencies to address the issue of impact upon caribou (Appendix D). The Revelstoke snowmobile survey indicated a very high awareness of restricted areas among visiting snowmobilers. However, any future management of trails and areas for snowmobiling must take into account the impact on wildlife in the area. The development of trails at lower elevations, for example, may lead to conflict with other ungulates such as moose or deer.