Justice and Public Safety
March 6, 2015

Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Officers Ensure Compliance with Snowmobile Legislation

During the week of February 23-28, the Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Division of the Department of Justice and Public Safety conducted check stations on the Managed Snowmobile Trail system in the western portion of the province. Officers were ensuring that those using the trails were in compliance with legislation related to snowmobiling, particularly the Motorized Snow Vehicles and All-Terrain Vehicles Act.

Checks were conducted on 194 snowmobiles that were travelling on the groomed trail system, and as a result there were a total of 43 summary offence tickets issued and 23 written warnings issued. These addressed a number of legislative breaches, including failing to have a snowmobile trail sticker attached to a snowmobile, failing to have a licence plate attached to a snowmobile, operating underage and operating a snowmobile with improper noise reducing equipment.

The Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Division would like to remind the general public that under the Motorized Snow Vehicles and All-Terrain Vehicles Regulations, a vehicle must be equipped with a noise muffler or other noise reducing equipment that must be kept in good working condition and does not create excessive or unusual noise.

The public plays an important role in helping officials as they work to identify those who do not follow regulations. Reports can be made anonymously 24 hours a day, toll-free, by calling the Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Division at 1-877-820-0999 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS. Additional information regarding the Motorized Snow Vehicles and All-Terrain Vehicles Act can be found online: www.assembly.nl.ca/legislation/sr/statutes/m20.htm.

To learn more about the Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Division, the work it does, and to make an anonymous online report of suspected poaching or illegal activity, please visit www.stoppoaching.ca.

- 30 -

Media contact:

Luke Joyce
Director of Communications
Department of Justice and Public Safety
709-729-6985, 725-4165
lukejoyce@gov.nl.ca

2015 03 06                              3:35 p.m.