A coalition of B.C. environmental groups is happy about recent moves by the province to protect the endangered mountain caribou population but say more still needs to be done.

"They haven't finished the job yet," said Joan Snyder of BC Nature.

The environmentalists' reaction comes after the Environment Ministry said it would take measures to limit disturbances to the animals in a large portion of the province's mountainous backcountry.

B.C.'s Mountain Caribou Recovery Implementation Plan puts more than two million hectares off limits for logging and road building.

It also means one million hectares of alpine caribou habitat will be out of reach for snowmobiles in the B.C. Interior.

But Snyder said that despite the closure to snow machines, snowmobilers are still out there because while they work out a plan with the government to stop taking their machines in those areas.

"There are still snowmobilers up there riding around where the biologists have said they don't want them because it's deleterious to the caribou."

The government's goal is to restore the mountain caribou population to the pre-1995 level of 2,500 animals throughout their existing range in B.C.

John Bergenski of Wildsight said the province did the right thing in closing areas to road-building and logging.

Valerie Langer of ForestEthics said the group is concerned the B.C. government is allowing snowmobiling in areas its own science team recommended for closure.

There are now about 1,200 to 1,400 mountain caribou, Snyder said.

Mountain caribou in B.C. are unique.

They are the world's southernmost population and the only remaining population that lives in rugged, mountainous terrain.

Mountain caribou are currently listed as threatened under the federal Species at Risk Act and are "red listed," meaning they're endangered or threatened, in British Columbia.

It is illegal to hunt, trap, wound or kill any endangered species including mountain caribou.

The maximum fine for a conviction under the B.C. Wildlife Act is now $500,000, up from the previous $150,000 maximum,after amendments introduced by the government last year.

Penalties can also include imprisonment for up to three years, up from the previous maximum of eighteen months.

With files from The Canadian Press