By Helen Englund, Horsefly River Roundtable Director –
The Horsefly River Roundtable (HRR) assisted Tolko Industries Ltd. in organizing an open house in Horsefly on May 28, 2022, from 10 am to 2 pm. This came after many citizens expressed their concerns regarding Tolko’s proposals for timber harvesting in the Horsefly area.
The overview referral maps of forest development plans reviewed included 2022-ca-01 – Prairie Creek and 2022-ca-02 – Horsefly Lake, and they can be viewed by contacting Tolko.
The HRR was very pleased, considering how small the community is, that well over 100 concerned citizens from Horsefly and Williams Lake attended the open house at the Horsefly Community Hall.
The HRR created a questionnaire that residents used as a guide when speaking to Tolko’s development foresters who were available with maps to discuss details. Questionnaire topics include the opportunity to comment about silviculture systems, road building, wildfire risk, waste, debris, water quality, fish/wildlife habitat, property values, recreational values, biodiversity, old growth management, and local job opportunities.
The HRR will stay in communication with Tolko, Ministry of Forests, Lands & Natural Resource Operations, and the public regarding these proposed plans. There will be updates submitted to the Williams Lake Tribune in the coming months as the planning progresses.
For any logging development plan concerns in the Horsefly watershed area, contact Jenna Swanson, RPF, Tolko Cariboo Woodlands Operations Supervisor at jenna.swanson@tolko.com or (250) 992-0114. If you have questions about HRR activities or would like more info about how to comment on logging development plans near your residence or property in the Horsefly area, contact Helen Englund, Horsefly Roundtable Director, at hrfsw2020@gmail.com.
