Devastation caused by the mountain pine beetle has led Burns Lake Community Forest (BLComfor) to prepare for a major tree-removal effort, partly in an effort to stave off forest fires and future bug infestations. But the president of the Burns Lake Mountain Bike Association (BLMBA) says some mountain bikers are concerned the project might move too fast.
The logging is planned for next winter, following peak mountain bike season and a smaller tree-removal project designed as a trial. The logging is meant to reduce the risk of forest fires while also generating income and improving trails for users — while also staving off a potentially disastrous infestation by spruce beetles, which thrive on live fallen trees.
The removal of troublesome stands of dead pine would make BLMBA’s trail maintenance work easier, said Guy Epkens-Shaffer, president of BLMBA. He also noted that the goals of BLComfor are important.
Still, he said mountain bikers are concerned about the impact that logging could have on the natural beauty of Boer Mountain, especially in the area surrounding Kager Lake.
“We want to see the results of the test area,” said Epkens-Shaffer. “We want to see how it shakes out with the first little bit, and then go from there.” The proposed test area is on a slope going towards Kager Lake from the south.
Comfor general manager Frank Varga said the areas most afflicted by the mountain pine beetle will require clear-cutting and that he’s “not sugarcoating” this. But he also said that dead blowdown is already decimating those areas.
“In terms of beauty of the area, it doesn’t look good right now,” he said. “Anything we do in there is just going to make it look better.”
Varga emphasized that these areas create a major risk of forest fire and leave the forest vulnerable to spruce beetles infestations— since falling pine trees knock down spruce, producing conditions where the pest thrives — all without making use of fibre from the trees.
He said that that BLComfor plans to consult with the mountain bike association after the test logging is carried out this spring. But he said he expects the project will go forward. “I have no doubt we will reach common ground,” said Varga.