Harvest plans near Bulkley Valley Nordic Centre

[BV XC Ski Club]

Hello skiers on the BV Nordic email list,

The Bulkley Valley Nordic Centre operates within the Wetzin'kwa Community Forest. In April, the Community Forest notified the club and other groups about a review and comment period for their Forest Operations Map. (See that April 19 email below.) More recently, the Community Forest's general manager suggested that the BV Cross Country Ski Club notify our members so they can also review and comment. 

Deadline for comments is July 16. You can comment directly to Wetzinkwa Community Forest Corporation using the webmap's commenting tool referred to in the notification below. The club's trail team have already submitted their comments on behalf of the club, so send your comments directly to the review process and do not reply to this email.  

We note that the level of detail on the Forest Operations Map is minimal which makes it hard to review and comment. To assist you, the club produced the attached pdf map showing Wetzin'kwa's cutblocks overlaid onto BV Nordic ski trails.  Also, here are some of to club's comments to Wetzin'kwa:   

• From previous discussions, we understand that these cut blocks involve partial cut silvicultural systems designed to meet timber and non-timber objectives.  The following comments are focused on the recreation values of the BV Nordic Centre's cross country ski trails. Our assumption is that Wetzin'kwa Community Forest and other reviewers will be addressing the other values in these forests
• From previous discussions, we understand that harvesting on these cut blocks will not directly interfere with our established ski trails nor overlap the ski season.
• To prevent adverse snow melt during the ski season, any logging should retain shading on the south, east, and west side of any ski trails (partial cut with a target of 70% (minimum 50%) for at least one tree height)

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From: Management - Wetzin'kwa Community Forest <manag...@wetzinkwa.ca>
Sent: Friday, April 19, 2024 3:26 PM
Subject: Forest operations map

Hello

I’m writing today to provide notification of a review and comment period for Wetzin’kwa Community Forest Corporation’s forest operations map. Recent changes to the Forest and Range Practices Act requires all licensees to publish a Forest Operations Map for any proposed cutting permits and roads. The legislated timeline for review and comment is 30 days, WCFC have extended this to 90 days. The review and comment period is open until 16 July 2024. WCFC has advertised the forest operations map review and comment period in the Smithers newspaper. We are also sending you direct correspondence as a member of the resource user group in the community forest. If you are included in two or more interest groups we endeavour to send you only one form of correspondence, although apologise in advance for multiple correspondence you may receive on this.

 The cutblocks and roads represent harvesting and road building that WCFC may undertake over the next 3 years. Licensees are required to provide locations of cutblocks and roads so that proposed forestry operations are easily seen and that awareness is raised of licensees forestry operations. Our cutblocks and roads have been posted to a provincial government webmap that can be accessed here. The provincial webmap provides a commenting tool that we encourage you to use. WCFC will review all comments made and where necessary may make changes to harvest and road construction plans. They can also be viewed on WCFC’s new webmap, this provides proposed cutblock and road locations in conjunction with data that represent community values, available here.

Also, later in 2024 we will be extending our forest stewardship plan and will send the draft plan to you for review and comment. Should you wish to communicate directly with the WCFC team about either the forest operations map or the forest stewardship plan, please respond to this email or 250-847-3680 or 250-634-4050.

 Thanks

Sam

 Sam Coggins, PhD RPF (he/him/his)
General Manager, Wetzin’kwa Community Forest Corporation