Logging Plans For Macpherson - Update

The RCA Board has always known that the Mt Macpherson Recreation Area is designated by the Provincial Government as an active working forest which means that there will be logging in the area. Knowing that, we try to work with logging companies to protect and enhance our trail network. Last spring RCA Board members met with BC Timber Sales (BCTS) representatives to discuss their plans to log in 2016 in the Mt. Macpherson Rec Area. At that time BCTS showed us a map with a proposed logging block that would impact several trails including upper TNT, Ridgewalk, Mad Man’s Step and lower Black Forest as well as the area around the Nordic Club Lodge parking lot and stadium. After the meeting in the spring the RCA Board requested that BCTS leave as many trees around the trails in the impacted areas le to keep as much of the character of the trails as possible while still allowing the logging to be economically viable. We planned to meet again after BCTS had worked out their detailed plans for the area.

On August 11, 2015 the RCA Board met with BCTS to discuss their detailed plans for logging at Mt. Macpherson in 2016. As you can see from the attached map BCTS has taken our request into account in their detailed logging plans. They plan to leave a buffer of trees around the trails in the upper TNT/Ridgewalk area. Hopefully the buffer that will be left is large enough that when blowdown occurs the trails will not be significantly impacted. The RCA Board members felt that leaving as many trees around TNT as possible will help with the blowdown problem so we requested that BCTS take the trees that would have been left around Madman’s Step and move that amount to the buffer around TNT. BCTS has agreed to do that and to build a connection from TNT to Madman’s Step as well as rebuilding Madman’s Step if it is impacted by the logging. BCTS representatives also told us they will not be logging around Black Forest or the Nordic Lodge at this time.

BCTS told us they are now working on 5 year plans. Their plan for the Mt. Macpherson area for the next 5 years does not include any further logging once they have finished in 2016. The RCA Board will be entering into an agreement with BCTS to meet regularly to discuss their logging plans and the RCA trail building/maintenance plans so each group will know what the other is planning as far ahead as possible.

Keith McNab

RCA President