Trails day to fight logging

Photo: BCTS

Local trails groups are planning an appreciation day for the Carmi trails system as the provincial government moves forward with plans to log the area.

The South Okanagan Trail Alliance, Upper Carmi Residents Association, Hoodoo Adventures and Save Carmi Trails group are hosting the event New Year’s Day 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the area trail head, about four kilometres up the Carmi Forest Service Road.

Organizer Neda Joss says the event will be geared towards families and kids, with Hoodoo on hand providing workshops on survival skills like building a lean-to, fire starting as well as nature and snowshoe tours.

"Just to bring some attention to the proposed plans to log the area," she said.

The site, heavily used by cross-country skiers and mountain bikers, is slated to be logged sometime next year, plans that sparked outcry from some in Penticton. Last month, MLA Dan Ashton delivered a petition containing 1,600 signatures against the idea to the Minister of Forests. Ashton has also personally voiced his opposition to the harvesting.

While the area will be logged in patches, the cut blocks will be accessed using the cross-country ski trails, turning them into industrial logging roads. Many of the trails were originally built by logging crews several decades ago, but have since been taken over and maintained by recreational users. 

Residents that participated in a letter-writing campaign against the plan have started receiving form-letter responses from the provincial government.

“The current plans proposed by BCTS would result in only 10 per cent harvest within the intensive recreation zone,” wrote Chris Stagg, assistant deputy minister.

The Carmi Trails are just one part of the wider intensive recreation zone, and Joss says the provincial government throwing that 10 per cent figure around is disingenuous.

“It just so happens to be the 10 per cent that the community uses the most,’ she said.

The letters indicate the Ministry believes harvesting and recreation can co-exist in the area and tout wildfire-mitigation benefits.

Joss says responses to concerns sent to BC Timber Sales about the planned logging have been vague and non-committal. Contributing to the feeling that they are not being heard is the fact that forestry crews have been “timber cruising” the blocks, the final step before BCTS sells off the license to a forestry company.

“They are not listening to us, even though they say they are,” Joss said. “They are not willing to work with us, because they are still going ahead and logging this.”

Joss said they are in disagreement with BCTS over what percentage of ski trails will be converted to logging roads, and remain in the dark about the possibility of any additional roads that could be added to the plans.

She noted the Save Carmi Trails group and South Okanagan Trails Alliance will try to meet with BCTS face-to-face in January in an effort to get their point across.