The Frisby Ridge trail near Revelstoke will be closed until July 15 to protect sensitive wildlife habitat.

Frisby Ridge is in the alpine and the trail is valued for the views, ridge riding and wildflowers.

In an email, Dave Karn, a spokesperson for B.C.'s Ministry of Environment wrote, "The annual closure protects valuable wildlife habitat for grizzly bears using the area this time of year."

The Revelstoke Cycling Association put out a notice on its website on Friday, June 23 about the closure, saying it came from a notice from Recreation Sites and Trails B.C. and the Ecosystems Division of the Ministry of Water Land and Resource Stewardship.

Since it opened it 2011, the trail has been closed to riders and hikers until July 15. Up until this year that has been because it is sensitive caribou habitat in the early summer. But last fall the B.C. government declared the Frisby-Boulder herd functionally extirpated. That means there aren't enough reproducing female caribou for the herd to survive. In an email last fall the B.C. government says it estimates there are nine caribou left.

As a result of this the Revelstoke Snowmobile Club lifted the voluntary closure it had in the area, and snowmobilers were able to access more areas around the ridge.

Revelstoke Cycling Association executive director Alex Cooper said over the phone that the groups supports efforts to protect wildlife in our area. He said the trail is too muddy to ride until mid-July anyway.

People who violate the closure could be fined, and violations could result in the area remaining closed, he said.

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