Photo: Carmi Recreation Trails

Penticton MLA Dan Ashton has come out opposed to logging planned for a recreational area just outside the city frequented by mountain bikers and cross-country skiers.

“I’ve known the area a long time and been in it numerous occasions growing up here,” he said, suggesting “there are probably other places” B.C. Timber Sales could find harvestable trees.

Ashton met with the leaders this week of a group opposed to the project, about four kilometres up the Carmi Forest Service Road, and committed to delivering the group's petition of more than 1,400 signatures to the minister of forests.

Ashton said he is cognisant of the shortage of harvestable timber in the province right now, “but it is incredibly close to town and it's a recreational area, and not one that someone's just branded on a map — it's very utilized.”

“It's pretty close to town, I’m literally looking at it out my office window right now,” he said while on the phone with Castanet. “I just think that every available option should be considered before that recreation area is disturbed by logging.”

The plans to convert several of the cross-country ski trails to modern logging roads particularly worries him.

His office learned of the project back in February, he said, due to questions from a constituent. At the time, Ashton said he was told BCTS had completed its consultation on the plan with stakeholders.

“Personally I’m not so sure how much public input has come forward on this, and as we all know, lots of times it doesn’t get people’s attention when it should, until someone goes up and sees all the cut blocks.”

Ashton said BCTS probably should have reached out to more than just the South Okanagan Trails Alliance, considering how many other groups use the trails.

He is hopeful common sense can prevail and a compromise can allow logging to take place “without ruining the landscape.”

“The solitude of the trails and utilization of the trails is important,” he added.