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ATV ban remains in place for much of Alberta

The Iron Horse Trail has been a little quieter lately, following a province-wide ban on ATVs due to the high fire risk being experienced this spring.

The Iron Horse Trail has been a little quieter lately, following a province-wide ban on ATVs due to the high fire risk being experienced this spring. Although the ban was lifted in some area, areas in northern and central Alberta remain under the ban.

“We are supporting the province’s decision to restrict all ATV us on public lands until the dry conditions improve,” says Marianne Price, administrative coordinator for the Iron Horse Trail.

The province is requesting that Albertans restrict using off highway vehicles (OHVs) as much as possible. If the machines must be used, users must remove all debris from hot spots on the OHV.

All OHVs in Alberta are required to have a functional muffler and spark arresters, according to a press release from the Iron Horse Trail’s administration.

The trail may be closed to ATVs, but it remains open to all “non-motorized users,” such as hikers, horseback riders, and cyclists.

All of the municipalities along the Iron Horse Trail have fire bans in place, so the fire pits at the staging areas along the trail should not be used.

“Our firefighters and emergency personnel are under great strain right now. We need to take preventative action, and responsible ATV use is one way to assist with reducing the fire potential in our province,” states the press release.

The Iron Horse Trail runs across a large portion of northeast Alberta. It goes from Smoky Lake County to Heinsburg as part of the Trans Canada Trail, and a portion also runs up to Cold Lake, which is part of the Trans Canadian Snowmobile Trail. A number of municipalities, including both the Town and County of St. Paul, are members of the Iron Horse Trail.

On May 6, the Government of Alberta announced the province-wide restriction on OHVs.

“We do not take this step lightly; however, we must reduce the potential for more wildfires throughout the province. Quite simply, OHV recreational use under our current conditions has the very real potential to contribute to an already catastrophic wildfire season,” said Shannon Phillips, Minister of Environment and Parks, when the announcement was made.

On Friday, the province-wide ban was lifted in some southern parts of the province.

The restriction does not apply to agriculture, public safety or commercial/industrial users who use OHVs for farming, enforcement or business purposes.

OHVs include all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), four-wheel vehicles, motorcycles, and related two-wheel vehicles and amphibious machines.

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