Park trails temporarily close to clear the way for rebuild

Clearing for regrowth

Photo: RDCO

Workers are being sent into a wildfire ravaged portion of Rose Valley Regional Park to clear the way for new life.

The Regional District of Central Okanagan said in a Monday media release that some Rose Valley Regional Park trails will be temporarily closed to allow post-wildfire recovery salvage harvesting near the southern entrance of the park.

Crews will be in the park to fell and remove hazardous trees and they will need people to stay out of the park and observe all barricades and signs during this time.

“Post-wildfire restoration recovery work includes salvage harvesting which is dependent on optimal cold weather conditions to protect ecosystems from damage, soils from erosion and to minimize impacts to recreational trails," Wayne Darlington, manager of parks capital planning and asset management, said in a statement.

"This will prepare the park for restoration through replanting and natural revegetation. The work requires the use of low impact forestry equipment to remove the identified burned trees."

The McDougall Creek Wildfire started 10 kilometres north of the City of West Kelowna Aug. 15, 2023 and turned into the largest wildfire in the history of the city.

More than 10,000 residents were evacuated over three days, in addition to evacuation orders implemented in the neighbouring communities of Westbank First Nation in a fire that took weeks to douse.