Yukon's Off-Road Vehicle Management Area Regulation
The Yukon now has an Off-Road Vehicle Management Area Regulation to protect our landscapes and habitats that are most at risk.
The regulation provides 2 tools to help with managing off-road vehicles in the backcountry:
- the ability to establish off-road vehicle management areas to protect sensitive areas from activity over the long term; and
- the ability to impose a temporary restriction that can protect ecologically sensitive areas from off-road vehicle activity.
The regulation applies to all off-road vehicle users operating in an off-road vehicle management area or area with a temporary restriction. In some cases, First Nations may have off-road vehicle access to certain areas of an off-road vehicle management area as part of their traditional harvesting rights outlined in their Yukon First Nation Final Agreement.
See where off-road vehicle management areas are located
There are currently 3 off-road vehicle management areas. You can see where they are on GeoYukon:
- Ddhaw Ghro Habitat Protection Area;
- alpine areas 1,400 metres or higher; and
- West Hart River Landscape Management Unit 4.
For the Ddhaw Ghro Habitat Protection Area and the West Hart River Landscape Management Unit 4, you can continue to use off-road vehicles on the designated network of trails and roads. Our interactive maps above shows these roads and trails.
Within the alpine areas, trails that were in place as of January 28, 2021, can also continue to be used. Read a brochure about the impacts of off-road vehicles on the Yukon's alpine areas.
Outside these 3 areas, you can continue to use off-road vehicles as you have in the past.
What off-road vehicle management areas do
Off-road vehicle management areas designate:
- places where off-road vehicle use is managed or restricted;
- which roads and trails can be used year-round; and
- any seasonal, vehicle-type or other restrictions.
How we create them
New off-road vehicle management areas can result from recommendations coming out of public planning processes, such as:
- regional land-use planning;
- local area planning; and
- special management areas such as Habitat Protection areas or parks.
Governments and other groups, such as the Fish and Wildlife Management Boards and Renewable Resource Councils, can submit a proposal that identifies ecologically-sensitive areas that off-road vehicle management areas could protect.
Public review process
All management areas that we create will go through a public review process that includes:
- consultation with First Nations; and
- engagement with:
- communities;
- groups; and
- organizations.
Get a permit to operate an off-road vehicle in a management area
In most cases, you can continue to use many of the roads and trails that are commonly used in an off-road vehicle management area. However, some trails could be closed or restricted based on a trail plan. If you need to operate in areas where off-road vehicle activity is restricted, you may be able to apply for a permit.
Temporary off-road vehicle restrictions
We can temporarily restrict off-road vehicle use for up to 90 days providing immediate protection:
- for a sensitive area that is experiencing immediate and significant damage from off-road vehicle use; or
- in some cases, where a proposed off-road vehicle management area is under review.
A proposal for a restriction can come from:
- a government, including First Nations, Yukon, federal, and municipal; or
- a group, such as Yukon Fish and Wildlife and Management Board or a Renewable Resource Council.
Download an information booklet
This booklet:
- answers common questions about the regulation;
- shows you where the off-road vehicle management areas are; and
- directs you to more information on the management area proposal and permitting processes.
You can also read a brochure about the impacts of off-road vehicles on the Yukon's alpine areas.
How we got here
Since the release of the Select Committee Report on the Safe Operation and Use of Off-road Vehicles in 2011, we've been discussing the issue of off-road vehicle management in the Yukon’s backcountry.
While some level of management is in place in certain areas of the Yukon, there's been no overall approach to off-road vehicle management.
Through public engagement, Yukoners told us they want the government to:
- protect Yukon landscapes most at risk; and
- encourage more responsible off-road vehicle usage in the backcountry.
Read the what we heard document.
Since 2018, we've been developing a regulation to:
- protect environmentally sensitive areas; and
- manage the use of off-road vehicles in established management areas.
We consulted and engaged with:
- First Nations;
- stakeholder groups;
- the public; and
- Renewable Resource Councils.