North Cowichan council has endorsed the recommendations of the Forest Advisory Committee to harvest trees that blew down or were heavily damaged during the December 2018 windstorm in parts of the Municipal Forest Reserve, specifically Stoney Hill, Mount Tzouhalem and Maple Mountain.
Blowdown assessments on Mount Richards, Mount Sicker, and Mount Prevost are delayed due to the recent snowfall, but will continue as the snow melts.
“Council was advised that some of the blowdown areas won’t be accessible without major road-building and other work - those areas will be left alone,” noted North Cowichan Mayor Al Siebring. “However, it’s important to clear out the blowdowns where we can to keep the Forest Reserve as safe as possible for public use, and to reduce wildfire risk.”
Salvage methods will incorporate mitigations to protect various environmental and biophysical values, including soil conservation, biological diversity, recreation, and forest health. A detailed description of blowdown plans, estimated volumes, and mitigation measures, is posted on the North Cowichan website.