2021 Kaslo Wildfire Corridor Operations Preview

Our wildfire risk reduction winter project in Schroeder Creek is nearing completion and we are preparing our return to Branch 7 for the spring to finish the remainder of the blocks.

Here is an outlook where the action will be, with approximate timeline.

We will be starting at 0.3km on Branch 7 near the highway next week and have hired Sean Brenton to remove snow on the first leg with a small cat.  Branch 7 will be closed to traffic at the highway for approx. 2 weeks while harvesting is in progress. All rec trails will remain open. We will progress into the other units up-slope as the snow recedes. There will be a clean-up phase after harvesting is done. We anticipate completion of the project by the end of April / beginning of May excepting the pile burning, which will likely have to wait into the fall. We will update the timelines here as well as on Facebook.

Wildfire Corridor BLK 5 Post Harvest Field Review

Our Post Harvest Tour was attended by 10 cold hardy people and we were being happily treated to a sunny day. We had good and positive discussions, with some concerns raised regarding harvesting too close to recreation trails, potential access created for motorized recreation and the maintenance of plant species diversity.

We thank all participants for joining our tour and for the interest from others who were unable to attend. We heard all comments received and concerns raised and will integrate this feedback into future developments.

2021 Kaslo/Shutty Wildfire Corridor

We moved operations to our Schroeder Creek Wildfire Risk Reduction project for the winter months and will return to the Kaslo/Shutty project sometime in March to continue the CP43 Blocks. Crown separation in Blocks 1, 4 and 7 awaits completion and those blocks, including Block 2 require post treatment clean-up.

KDCFS 2020 Landscape Level Wildfire Plan

Our Landscape Level Wildfire Plan is complete and 4 year recommendations are presently implemented with the support from the provincial Wildfire Risk Reduction (WRR) and FES funding streams. 2020/2021 projects adjacent to the Kaslo/Shutty and the Schroeder neighbourhoods are underway. We have applied for additional funding for 2021/2022 work mostly spanning high risk fire interface polygons between the Shutty to the Schroeder areas. 

The LLWP plan was developed with funding from the Forest Enhancement Society (FES) and provides the foundation to proposed fuel treatment work within License K3C in conjunction with the Provincial Strategic Threat Analysis and the Kaslo and Area D Community Wildfire Protection Plan. This planning document and field data will require regular updating to maintain currency with ongoing PSTA research and fuel reduction work.  

We are grateful for the participation and input from stakeholders, the community and interested individuals who aided towards the completion of this project. You can find the full report here

2021 AGM Date set: April 14

It feels like the last one was just yesterday.
Now that we have all become avid ZOOM-ists, we are confident that we can return to our spring AGM schedule. Please keep your eyes open for regular updates on Social Media and in the Pennywise.

For orientation: see below information from the 2020 AGM.

We have held a successful ZOOM AGM on September 16. Thank you all for joining.

2020 AGM Agenda
2020 08 26 Minutes
2019 Annual Financials Complete

2020 AGM Director’s & Treasurer’s Report

2020 AGM Management Report

Next Board Meeting – February 17, 2021 at 6:30pm ZOOM

Hello Everyone,

While we follow PHO directions from our Health Authorities, we invite you to join us in our  ZOOM virtual Board Meetings:

The next Board Meeting  is on Wednesday February 17 at 6:30pm.

Topic: Regular Zoom Board Meeting
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6949720471

2020 12 09 Minutes
2021 Feb17 Agenda
Mgmt Report Jan-Feb 2021

If you don’t have the ZOOM application on your computer or on your device you may be prompted to download a small application prior to joining – or you can select to join via the ZOOM web application.

The regular monthly meeting date is the 3rd Wednesday of each month. 
The Board welcomes input from the public during a five minute consultation period at the end of each meeting. Please visit one of our Board meetings to express your interest in participating in one of the following Committees:

  • Long Term Planning
  • Community / Communications
  • Governance / Policy
  • Recreation

FIREWOOD Charity Draw Winners ! Firewood Sales List…

Attention all  Firewood Charity Contestants

The results are out !
KDCFS received 5 submissions for our 3 load Charity Firewood Draw, which closed on August 1.

The Winners are now decided and are as follows:

  1. Royal Canadian Legion Kaslo Branch # 74

  2. Kaslo Senior Citizens’ Association – Branch #81

  3. Kootenay Lake Historical Society

Congratulations to the lucky contestants !!! Harvesting has commenced in our Wildfire Risk Reduction Permit  between Shutty Bench and Kaslo and the loads will roll out soon.

Thank you everyone for participating. We aim to support Not for Profit Organizations in Kaslo and Area D in the years to come, so if you missed out this year, keep checking in to our social media sites for future opportunities.

We will have firewood for sale from our Branch 7 Wardner-Shutty Bench Wildfire Risk Reduction activities once we resume harvesting in August. Firewood will be made available to Kaslo and Area D residents as follows:

Residential Orders: first come, first serve list

Respond to: manager@kaslocommunityforest.org or call 250-353-9677.

Commercial Orders: first come, first serve list

Respond to: manager@kaslocommunityforest.org or call 250-353-9677.

July 18 and 25, 2020 Open House & Wildfire Corridor Field Review

We invite you to an update of our Wildfire Risk Reduction prescription work and a pre-treatment field review. This is a follow-up to our 2019 Community Consultations, kitchen table meetings and field discussions and will provide an opportunity to compare and discuss with post treatment outcomes later in the year.Two Field dates are scheduled:

Saturday, July 18, 2020 RECREATION Field Review. Meeting locations are 9AM at 0.3km on Branch 7 for vehicle access (arrange according to personal social distancing preferences) and 9:30AM at the upper No Brakes Trail intersect for trail access.

Saturday, July 25, 2020. OPEN HOUSE Field Review. Meeting locations are 9:30AM at 0.3km on Branch 7 for vehicle access (arrange according to personal social distancing preferences) and 10:15AM at the upper No Brakes Trail intersect for trail access.

We are finalizing fieldwork and will commence implementation in Block 5 in early August 2020.  Come prepared for walking and for weather forecast. For questions email: manager@kaslocommunityforest.org or call 250-353-9677.

 

Danger Snag Assessment#3 – Wardner Trail Closure June 16

TEMPORARY TRAIL CLOSURE will resume again for June 16 on the Wardner Fire Access / No-Brakes Trail to complete the snag assessment and danger tree falling.

TEMPORARY TRAIL CLOSURE #2 – Snag assessment and felling on Wardner Fire Access Trail (No Brakes) Thursday June 11, 2020

The Danger Tree crew sent by Recreation Sites and Trails BC worked on the Buchanan Fire Access Trail / No Brakes section most of Tuesday but achieved only 50% completion. They will return this coming Thursday, which requires trail closure on the same trails shown all day on June 11.

All these diseased trees show signs of root rot (Armillaria) and some are covered with little white fungus pustules indicative of Douglas-fir beetle kill. This is a fungus carried under the tree bark by the beetles to assist in weakening tree defenses to their attack. After the beetle brood hatches and flies, the fungus remains and grows out of the entry/exit holes created by the beetles.

Thank you for adjusting your recreation plans.

 

 TEMPORARY TRAIL CLOSURE – Snag assessment and felling on Wardner Fire Access Trail (No Brakes) Tuesday June 9, 2020
We have asked the Recreation Sites and Trails Officer to assess, and if necessary remove, dangerous snags along the Wardner Fire Access Trail [No Brakes Section] to improve safety along the recreation trail. Douglas-fir trees in this area are heavily infected with Armillaria Root disease. A Danger Tree Assessor (DTA) crew will complete this work tomorrow morning, Tuesday June 9. The trail will be closed during this time from the Wardner trailhead to the Viewpoint loop and including the upper Wardner loop. Please avoid this area tomorrow morning. The trail will be open in the afternoon.

FLNRORD opens Select Invitation list on BCBid for 2020 Wildfire Fuel Reduction Work

Recommendations from our new 2020 KDCFS Landscape Level Wildfire Plan encompass a 5 year planning horizon. This information provided the basis for a 3 year funding request to the FLNRORD/BCWS for Wildfire Risk Reduction (WRR) funding.  2020 marks the first year of this program, securing $280,000 risk reduction work towards our CP43 Kaslo – Shutty Wildfire Corridor – a small 10,000m3 cutting permit prescribed to reduce wildfire risk adjacent to our communities. The WRR grant money is being administered by FLNRORD who have decided to go through an open tendering process via BCBid.  Community Forests (CFs) collectively have voiced their concerns to FLNRORD to keep the work local, arguing that by principle of establishment, CFs operate under special responsibilities to manage and promote the social, economic health and physical well-being of the rural communities they surround. We have been awarded the Prescription and Supervision component of the planned work and are awaiting the selection of our fuel reduction contractor.

Exerpt from the 2020 KDCFS Landscape Level Wildfire Planning Map Kaslo-Shutty.

Hatched areas identify proposed forest fuel treatment permits between 2020 to 2022. The KDCFS license boundary is drawn in deep purple and for the main extent transposes with the Kaslo Volunteer Fire Department fire service boundary (white dash). Water sources active during fire season are marked by blue squares identifying an estimated liter/minute flow rate. Landscape colour shading models fire spread risk based on slope and aspect parameters.