With the Victoria Day Long weekend just days away, the Alberta Government is making sure it's safe as possible.

Earlier today (May 16th) the government announced plans to ramp up enforcement on public lands and introduce tougher restrictions on campfire and off highway vehicle (OHV) use.

According to Environment Minister Shannon Phillips, the fine for leaving a campfire unattended will rise to $287, "because Albertans have seen how quickly fire can move in the wrong conditions."

Justice Minister Kathleen Ganley was also on hand to talk about the work that Fish and Wildlife Officers have this weekend as well as Commercial Vehicle Officers.

"These officers will work with other law enforcement agencies, where they'll be responsible for conducting road side checks of Off Highway Vehicles instead of just commercial vehicles."

That announcement comes one day after Alberta's law requiring helmets for OHV users officially came into effect.

Minister Phillips said that these changes are put in to make sure that fewer violations happen on public land this weekend.

"If there's something that we learned already from last year, it's that as soon as we have an enforcement presence, even if it's an educational presence, we see the number of violations going down. We see people beginning to act more responsibly."

Last year officers reported handing out 6835 charges and warnings mostly due to off highway vehicle and random camping violations.

Questions, comments or story ideas? Email us at news@discoverairdrie.com