A logging projected taking place close to the Heart Lake Trail is well underway but it will affect the trail's corridor specifically.
The harvesting is being conducted by forestry company Econ Consulting and access to the trail will be restricted up until the middle of May.
"The Town of Ladysmith has been advised that there will be active logging in areas close to Heart Lake trail," read the town's Parks, Recreation and Culture Department's Facebook page. "Access to the Heart Lake Trail head will be restricted between 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Saturday from March 19 to May 15, please use alternate routes."
Econ Consulting's Erik Hulbek made a presentation to Ladysmith council in March allaying fears that loggers would be active along the trail's corridor over the next few weeks.
Nevertheless, there will still be visuals of the logging process present for hikers.
"The harvesting plan calls for protection of Heart Lake Trail corridor itself and also mitigating the impact on view corridors from the town," said Mayor Rob Hutchins in an email to the Chronicle. "The parcel to the south will most likely not be noticeable to hikers from the trail. However hikers will see some clearing (100 ft away) from a portion of the north side of the trail.
"The present plan calls for harvesting six parcels stretched out along the west of the hydro right away The total cut of all six parcels is 8,000 metres. Two parcels are adjacent to the Heart Lake Trail, one to the south of the trail is 1.27 hectares and 827 m3 of wood is expected to be harvested. The one to the north is 1.79 hectares with 871 m3 of wood to be harvested."
The Heart Lake Trail is not on a portion of land owned by the Town of Ladysmith.
"The trail crosses both a crown wood lot (bottom half) and private managed forest land (top half -TimberWest) as it makes its way up the side of Stanton Peak," said Hutchins. "Portions of the crown wood lot have been harvested in the recent past."
For more information on restricted access to the trail, please contact the town's Public Works Department at 250-245-6445.