CHERRYVILLE – The future of a logging project in the Cherry Ridge area near Cherryville is up in the air.
Residents worried about landslides, among other things, set up a blockade this morning to try and stop construction of a forest service road for the project.
READ MORE: Proposed logging road prompts landslide worries in Cherryville
That has the proponent BC Timber Sales weighing its options.
A main concern is that a landslide could come from either the logging that’s planned, or the road itself.
“The road could slide. That is just as devastating as the clearcutting,” says resident Carla Vierke.
Residents are worried a slide could block Cherry Creek and impact residents living downstream.
“All the water would backup behind the slide and as soon as there was enough pressure on the slide, the slide would breach,” says resident Edsel Fleury.
Timber sales manager with BC Timber Sales Jeff Fukumoto expressed confidence in the project.
“I have to depend on the professionals, the professional hydrologists and terrain stability engineers who’ve field visited the site and provided us with recommendations,” says Fukumoto a timber sales manager.
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“The assessed risk is low.”
“Clearcutting doesn’t mean that all of the trees are removed. It means that we will be leaving some reserve trees, wildlife tree patches and other reserves within the block,” adds Fukumoto.
A representative from BC Timber Sales, woodlands manager Colin Johnston, showed up at the blockade today along with representatives from the company contracted to do the work.
“We would respectfully like you to turn around and drive away,” said Vierke as other residents looked on.
“We’ll do that if you are preventing us from accessing the work site,” said Johnston.
“We are,” the crowd of residents answered.
Today, crews did turn around. In the future, BC Timber Sales says it’s reviewing its options.
“Today was our first day at trying to move the project ahead so we will take the time to review our options and decide on an appropriate course,” says Fukumoto.
Blockading residents have gone home for now, but some are planning to return Friday to make sure road construction doesn’t go ahead.
The road construction was planned for this fall and the summer of 2015.
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