December 17, 2020 - 3:25 PM Two Williams Lake men received a $9,050 fine after they were caught snowmobiling in protected mountain caribou areas last year. In March 2019, the Conservation service and RCMP officer conducted a joint helicopter patrol of snowmobile closures east of Williams Lake, according to a B.C. Conservation Officer Service media release. Two snowmobilers were seen operating within the Grain Creek snowmobile closure near Quesnel Lake. The two operators attempted to evade officers but were eventually arrested near Caribou Lake. Recreational snowmobiling in illegal areas can displace mountain caribou from high-quality winter habitat, threatening an already endangered population. More than one million hectares are closed to snowmobilers across B.C. to protect critical mountain caribou habitat, the conservation officer service said. This fine is the largest fine imposed in B.C. provincial court related to caribou closures in a precedent-settin