A well-used recreation trail that passes through a proposed logging cut block south of Powell River will be retained despite being unauthorized.
Polka Dot Trail users took to the internet last week to post pictures of trees marked with blue spray paint and areas marked with falling boundary ribbon to alert the community that logging was planned, said local trail builder Wayne Brewer.
“They’re going to have to close the trail for a while, but that’s all it’s going to be,” said Brewer. “I’d rather someone log somewhere else and never inconvenience me, but we live in a working forest.”
The trail is one of several in the SunCoast network located between the ends of Zilinsky and Nassichuk roads and Highway 101 south of town. It cuts through a portion of Crown land and the future cut block, approximately 65 acres in size, scheduled to be logged.
BC Timber Sales planning forester Adam Hockin confirmed the section is going up for auction in either August or September and the successful bidder will have one year to complete the timber harvest.
BC Timber Sales is the arm of BC Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations that auctions off timber harvests for the province’s Crown land.
Hockin estimated a typical harvest time of between three and six months is to be expected for an area that size.
“Blue paint on larger trees indicates a tree that will not be harvested,” said Hockin.
To provide forest cover, 34 trees have been selected and set aside, he added.
During the cut, signs will be posted warning the public of the safety hazard, said Hockin.
Brewer said he created the trail about 10 years ago after being approached by various residents in the area who were looking for a path through the swampy terrain for horseback riders. It is also widely used by mountain bikers, he added.
Brewer said he takes his granddaughters for walks on the trail.
“This is only going to be an inconvenience; it’s not going to destroy anything,” said Brewer.
Brewer said local outdoor recreation groups have a positive working relationship with forestry operators and when these situations have come up in the past, trails have always been cleaned up after logging is complete.
Hockin said that less than 20 per cent of the one-kilometre trail is in the cut block. He confirmed the company harvesting the timber will be required to clean up the trail after completion.
