WILLIAMS LAKE – Helicopter logging operations are underway in the Williams Lake area to minimize the spread of Douglas fir beetles on Crown land.
The Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations, and Rural Development heli-logging program was expanded to the Chimney Valley in the area west of Dog Creek Road along Chimney Creek south of Williams Lake.
Douglas fir beetle populations are higher than normal in parts of the Cariboo. The insects normally attack small groups of trees, and a significant infestation will weaken and eventually kill a tree over the period of about a year.
The Williams Lake Timber Supply Area contains 3.24 million hectares of forest, with 1.83 million hectares considered to be available for timber harvesting. According to the ministry’s latest mapping data, based on summer 2017 aerial surveys, Douglas fir beetles affected 45,862 hectares in 2017 and 53,311 hectares in 2016 within the Cariboo-Chilcotin Natural Regional District.
As part of the Williams Lake Beetle Management Unit 2017 Treatment Plan, the helicopter harvesting is being done on steep slopes in the Williams Lake area to remove infested trees. Crews have been working in the South Lakeside, Esler and Fox Mountain areas, and on Slater Mountain, above Mile 168 Road.
Residents can expect to see helicopters in the air during these selective logging operations, but no flights will occur over residential buildings. The aircraft will only be flying during daylight hours and will not be in the air on statutory holidays.
Owners of livestock and pets are advised to take precautions to protect their animals from injuring themselves. Horses in particular can be sensitive to helicopter noise and may run if startled.
For safety reasons, members of the public should stay away from active harvesting areas. They are also reminded that unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) must not be operated anywhere near the harvesting areas, since doing so can endanger the safety of pilots and workers on the ground.
The ministry is committed to controlling the spread of Douglas fir beetles in the Cariboo-Chilcotin Natural Regional District and limiting their impacts on the mid-term timber supply, wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities, and wildfire management.
