CHERRYVILLE -It seems a September blockade by Cherryville residents only delayed construction of a controversial logging road. Locals say crews began work on the forest service road this morning. The construction is a big disappointment for Cherryville residents who believe the projects proponent, BC Timber Sales (BCTS), hasn’t adequately looked at what impacts the road and planned logging might have on their community downstream. Residents are asking for more time to have their own assessments done.
“We feel we’re being bullied. We are not asking for anything other than a little bit of time and they are refusing that and the community is very very upset,” says Electoral Area ‘E’ director, Eugene Foisy.
One worry is that the project could lead to landslides that could block the creek that runs through Cherryville upstream from the community.
“What would happen then?” Foisy asks rhetorically. “We would have some huge flooding.”
No one from BC Timber Sales was available for an interview Tuesday but earlier this month woodlands manager Colin Johnston said there is a very low risk.
“The assessments completed by the geo-technical engineer and the hydrologist have said that there is a very low risk of that. That’s the information that we need to move forward and so we have to trust the professionals that we employ,” said Johnston.
Cherryville residents want more time to do their own study.
“Let’s do a proper assessment of this area and see if everything is as good as they think it is,” says Foisy. “We will just welcome you to go ahead and log it but we feel that a proper study definitely has not been done.”
BCTS has said they are going slowly with the project and don’t see the need to wait.
At last word BCTS was planning to have 1.6 kilometers of road built this fall and the rest completed next year.
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