Work being done around Hudson Bay Mountain Road may cause traffic delays until Oct. 1.
Wetzin’kwa Community Forest’s Wildfire is currently conducting wildfire risk reduction treatments along the road above the Bulkley Valley Nordic Centre (from 9km to 18km) with traffic control measures in place.
The objectives of the prescribed fuel management is to improve public safety by altering forest fuels adjacent to primary access and egress routes within the Community Forest, to protect critical infrastructure (transmission lines, radio towers, Bulkley Valley Nordic Centre Trails, etc.) within or adjacent to the identified treatment units. It is also intended to improve firefighter safety during suppression activities, as well as reductions in wildfire spotting potential adjacent to private land parcels and mountain resort infrastructure.
READ MORE: Wetzin’kwa Community Forest gives out $350K in annual grants
The primary mitigation method will be selective logging and thinning.
Wildlife Tree Reserve Areas (WTRA) have been established adjacent to stream and wetland features, and wet ground areas are being avoided by operators to reduce impacts on sensitive soils, the corporation said.
In order to utilize some of the trees that are being removed, some of the timber will be commercially felled and processed locally. As well, wood will be brought to the local pellet plat to increase fibre utilization and reduce smoke impacts. On-site chipping may also be employed where operationally feasible.
deb.meissner@interior-news.com
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