The new faller training at block GH1 in the community forest is under way. There are three Cortes Island residents and one member of the Tla’amin First Nation participating in the training, which is expected to wrap up around the end of February or early March

The new faller training and harvest at block GH1 is part of a wider set of wildfire mitigation plans for the community forest contained in the 2020 Community Wildfire Protection Plan.

Once the falling is completed the logs will be yarded to roadside. As soon as the merchantable timber logs are hauled there will be an opportunity for people to come out and collect firewood with free use permits.

Before replanting the block, the road will be removed and coarse woody debris will be be placed parallel to the the contour lines to hold moisture in the soil. The gravel removed from the running surface will be reused further up the main road once it is constructed.

As part of the current project, approximately 75 meters of additional right of way for the main road will be felled so the logs can go out at the same time as the rest of the project, and the recycled gravel will have a place to go when the time comes.