The Lower Similkameen Community Forest recently released its first newsletter, describing the community forest’s activities of late.
The Lower Similkameen Community Forest program has seen 250,000 trees planted and harvested since its inception.
This year, approximately 72,000 trees will be planted in the Placer Creek area.
The LSCF’s latest permit area should be approved this month. Harvesting will occur in beetle infested pine and spruce in the Red Bridge area up the Crater Mountain Forest Service Road in the Ashnola. Ledcor and Weyerhaeuser have expressed an interest in purchasing sawlog and pulp from this permit.
Last year, harvesting took place at 39 kilometre mark on the Young Creek area of the Ashnola drainage area. Jade Contracting began harvesting in December of 2011 and completed the cut by March of this year. A total of 10, 056 cubic metres was taken out of the area.
Tree planting is scheduled to begin again as soon as the snow melts. In 2011, trees were planted in the Red Bridge, Wabnegger and Easygoing areas. One hundred and sixty hectares of land will be replanted under the Forests For Tomorrow program, with negotiations ongoing to secure work replanting trees in burned over areas where dead timber is still standing. Members of the Lower Similkameen Indian Band have been hired to do this work, which requires certified danger tree assessors.
