Mission Statement
The Kaslo and District Community Forest Society (KDCFS) will manage the diversity of values of the Community Forest in an ecologically responsible and fiscally accountable manner on behalf of the people of Kaslo and Area D.
WOODLANDS
Timber Ridge completed harvesting of CP 56 (the block behind the Kaslo airstrip) at the end of February. Close to 8,000 m³ was harvested, with tree species reflecting a classic Kootenay mix of Douglas fir, hemlock, cedar, and larch. The project also produced a significant number of cedar pole loads.
The block spans approximately 2 km and incorporates a mix of patch cuts, group selection, and single tree retention, designed to blend well into the surrounding landscape. While the term “wildfire risk reduction” is sometimes flagged as justification for harvesting near private land and communities, that terminology was not used for this project.
That said, the block now contains a mosaic of age classes and openings — a forest structure that has been shown to help reduce wildfire behaviour. Post-harvest clean-up funding through FESBC is currently being applied for.
Timber development work up Cooper Face and Lost Ledge is mostly complete:
- CP 50 (Cooper Face): 4 blocks, with a species profile of larch, hemlock, spruce, cedar, and fir.
- CP 57 (Lost Ledge): 5 blocks total. Several blocks have a very high hemlock component and will not be included in the 2026 harvest schedule.
The goal is to have all blocks ready for First Nations referral and submission to the Forest Operations Map (FOM) by mid-March.
SAFETY
There were no safety incidents reported from wildfire risk reduction (WRR) work, logging operations, or timber development.
SILVICULTURE
Review of the 2025 surveys, free-growing declarations, and RESULTS data entry is scheduled for March.
INTERNAL
Winter in the Forest was held on Family Day, February 16th. Leading up to the event, it felt like spring might arrive early — but Mother Nature had other plans, delivering a snowstorm with 10–15 cm of fresh snow on the day of the festival.
The snowfall allowed the popular human dog sled competition to go ahead, but attendance was roughly half of what is typically expected.
Thank you to:
- Zia for organizing and leading the festival
- Board members Matt Brown, Chris Webster, Doug Drain, and Stephen Fawcett for helping out
- Morgan (Kaslo FireSmart) for conducting a hedge burn demonstration
WILDFIRE RISK REDUCTION
Manual treatment in CP 55 above Lardeau continues, with little to no snow at lower elevations.
FESBC — our primary grant funder for WRR initiatives — has limited funding available over the next few years due to provincial spending cuts. One of the projects submitted in our recent Expression of Interest has been selected to move forward to a full application.
2026 Annual General Meeting: April 16th, 2026