Hi everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful week and enjoyed some of our much-needed rain. Can you believe it’s September already? The last few months have been challenging with our water shortage, ferry lineups, forest fire smoke, record-breaking high temperatures and dealing with the ongoing pandemic – but all the while, trying to find ways to enjoy the summer. Whether you were on the water or on land, hope you found ways to stay cool, hydrated and safe. Another school year will begin in a few days and fall is just around the corner, so let’s celebrate these last few days of summer.
The Sunshine Coast Community Forest will be active in the Halfmoon Bay/Trout Lake area in the next few months. Warren Hansen, operations manager of SCCF, shared some information regarding the upcoming harvesting. “The SCCF is providing notice to all trail users recreating around the HMB/Trout Lake area, that we are anticipating the commencement of harvesting operations in the vicinity of the Locomotive Trail. The trail is buffered from logging, however extreme danger to trail users exists where larger machines are operating nearby. Therefore, the trail will be closed Sept. 15 to Dec. 15, 5 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays.” There will be notices posted advising that the trails are closed along with contact information on the trailheads on the west and east end of the block prior to this commencement. The notice will include information that harvesting operations are taking place in the area and for trail users to watch for heavy equipment and lowbed trucks hauling on Halfmoon-Carlson Branch 3 FSR.
You may be curious as to what a community forest is. Information found on the SCCF website explains that a community forest is an area-based tenure issued by the Ministry of Forests under the Forest Act to a community or society. The SCCF Community Forest Agreement is a 25-year permanent tenure.
A community forest is an opportunity to manage a specified forest area, called “area based,” and sustainably harvest the timber in a way that benefits the community and is managed based on community values. The challenge in managing a community forest is balancing all values and stakeholders’ needs in the community, which includes recreation, the environment, business, education and providing employment. Within two years or after obligations are fulfilled, the SCCF will commit to deactivating the roads and looking for opportunities to turn it back into a trail.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Warren directly at 604-885-7809 or send an email to warren@sccf.ca. Also, visit their website at sccf.ca to find out more about the Sunshine Coast Community Forest.
The next few Halfmoon Happenings submissions will be brought to you by Kim Howcroft, who has so graciously accepted this volunteer community columnist opportunity. Please welcome her and provide any content suggestions to khowcroft@icloud.com before 5 p.m. on Mondays.
Be safe, be gentle, and always be kind.
