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Cheakamus Community Forest Open House – October 26, 2022

October 18, 2022/in News

The Cheakamus Community Forest hosted a virtual open house on Wednesday, October 26, 2022 from 4:00 – 5:30 p.m. The Forest Manager presented the 2022 and 2023 harvesting plans and other priorities which was followed by questions and discussion.

October 26, 2022 Open House Presentation

Did you miss the open house?

View the recording here.

Want to say more about the CCF’s plans? 

Please fill out the survey here. It will be open until November 2, 2022.

https://www.cheakamuscommunityforest.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Forest-scaled.jpg 1707 2560 Heather Beresford /wp-content/uploads/2019/04/CCF-logo-colour-white2.png Heather Beresford2022-10-18 15:46:272022-10-27 14:23:23Cheakamus Community Forest Open House – October 26, 2022

CCF Open House Survey

March 7, 2022/in News
Thank you for your interest in the Cheakamus Community Forest (CCF).
Please review the materials from the February 28, 2022 virtual open house before completing the survey. Harvesting maps can be found on the CCF Harvesting information page.
Your feedback about 2021 activities, and plans for 2022 harvesting and wildfire fuel reduction projects is appreciated. The survey will be open until March 25, 2022.
Open House Presentation

CCF Open House Q&A February 28, 2022

Thanks to those who completed the survey. It is now closed and the CCF will review the input. In general, most people were supportive of the plans with numerous comments requesting the CCF protect old growth and Spotted Owl habitat, take more efforts to avoid habitat impacts, and a few comments questioning the effectiveness of wildfire thinning projects.

https://www.cheakamuscommunityforest.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/news_environment1-1-9e15811aa3c3ed16.jpg 800 1280 Heather Beresford /wp-content/uploads/2019/04/CCF-logo-colour-white2.png Heather Beresford2022-03-07 09:29:162022-04-01 10:22:19CCF Open House Survey

Open House – Spring 2022

February 10, 2022/in News

The Cheakamus Community Forest held a virtual public open house on Monday, February 28 from 4 – 6 p.m.

A copy of the presentation is available:

CCF_OpenHouse_presentation_Feb28_2022

https://www.cheakamuscommunityforest.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/page-header06.jpg 400 2560 Heather Beresford /wp-content/uploads/2019/04/CCF-logo-colour-white2.png Heather Beresford2022-02-10 16:04:372022-03-01 11:43:58Open House – Spring 2022

CCF Open House – March 29, 2021

March 10, 2021/in News

The Cheakamus Community Forest hosted a virtual open house on March 29, 2021 from 4 – 6 p.m. The open house reviewed proposed 2021 harvesting and wildfire project plans, and discussed issues raised by the attendees including old growth harvesting and wildfire fuel thinning treatments.

The CCF posted a survey asking for input on the proposed 2021 harvesting and wildfire program plans. The survey results were reviewed and considered by the Board as it develops its plans.

A recording of the open house can be found here. It is 2 hours long.

The Board will consider the input in regard to the 2021 operational plans and other planning initiatives. An FAQ document containing the questions and answers from the webinar as well as survey results will be published on this site and the RMOW website at www.whistler.ca/CCF in the near future. No personal information will be published.

If you have questions, please contact Heather Beresford at hberesford@whistler.ca or 604-935-8374.

https://www.cheakamuscommunityforest.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/hands-and-gestures.png 512 512 Heather Beresford /wp-content/uploads/2019/04/CCF-logo-colour-white2.png Heather Beresford2021-03-10 10:31:142021-07-12 14:56:11CCF Open House – March 29, 2021
Credit: H. Beresford

CCF defers old growth harvesting for 2021

June 11, 2021/in News

Statement on old growth harvesting in the Cheakamus Community Forest:

June 11, 2021: Whistler, B.C. – On June 10, 2021, the Cheakamus Community Forest (CCF) Board of Directors met for its quarterly Board meeting and passed the following motion respecting old growth harvesting in the Cheakamus Community Forest:

The Cheakamus Community Forest will defer commercial old growth harvesting for 2021 and resolves to work together on finding consensus on old growth management in the CCF through a process of ongoing dialogue between the partners.

The Cheakamus Community Forest is a Limited Partnership governed by a non-profit society comprised of equal representation from the Lil’wat Nation, Squamish Nation and the Resort Municipality of Whistler.  A fundamental goal of the CCF is to maintain and protect ecological integrity and manage the land in accordance with its Ecosystem-based Management Plan and in alignment with the land use plans and values of the partner communities.

https://www.cheakamuscommunityforest.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Old-Growth-Photo-scaled.jpg 2560 1920 Heather Beresford /wp-content/uploads/2019/04/CCF-logo-colour-white2.png Heather Beresford2021-06-11 16:54:082021-06-11 16:54:08CCF defers old growth harvesting for 2021

Cheakamus Lake Road Wildfire Project

October 21, 2019/in News

In 2018, the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) and the Cheakamus Community Forest (CCF) began a 3 year project to thin a total of 113 ha along either side of Cheakamus Lake Road. Phase 3 began November 30, 2020 on the final 20 hectares near the entrance to the road. To allow for efficient and safe working conditions it will be necessary to close the road once the project starts until the work is complete in spring 2021. The Farside trail and AM/PM will also be closed intermittently over the winter. For everyone’s safety, please obey all signs and workers.

In addition the RMOW and CCF are working with WORCA to ensure trails in the area are taken into consideration, and with BC Parks to reduce disruption to the Cheakamus Lake Trail parking lot.

Current status

  • The RMOW and Cheakamus Community Forest are working together on the project.
  • 35 ha in the central portion of the road were thinned in winter 2018/19 and 42 hectares over winter 2019/20.
  • Find details on the Cheakamus Lake Fuel Treatment Map.

Winter wildfire fuel management along Cheakamus Lake Road, winter 2018-19 and completed area.
https://www.cheakamuscommunityforest.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/CCF3-winter-operations.jpg 2268 4032 Heather Beresford /wp-content/uploads/2019/04/CCF-logo-colour-white2.png Heather Beresford2019-10-21 15:12:152020-11-24 16:08:17Cheakamus Lake Road Wildfire Project

Wedge Logging Spring 2017

March 9, 2017/in News

Public Concern over Wedge 02 Spring 2017 Harvesting

A letter was received by Whistler Council on March 7, 2017 regarding the forest harvesting taking place in the Wedge area north of Whistler. Concerns were expressed over visual impacts, a perceived lack of public information sharing, potential negative impacts to the Comfortably Numb bike trail, and logging old growth. The CCF Board takes such concerns seriously and provides the following information:

Addressing the current issues raised about Wedge 02 harvesting

  • All planning was referred to the community through open houses and website and directly to stakeholders and the RMOW Forest and Wildland Advisory Committee (FWAC). WORCA has a seat on FWAC.
  • Wedge-02 logging will not be visible from Alpine, Wedge Estates, Rainbow and most of Emerald sub divisions.  Its visibility will be obscured by the oblique viewing angles, dispersed openings and the level of internal green tree retention.
  • It is not solely Whistler’s forest, rather it is a community forest tenure surrounding Whistler.
  • Clear cutting is not practiced anywhere in the forest and the planned project will not result in a “viewscape of logging”.
  • Access Planning considers the impact of roads and those with unintended consequences are to be fully deactivated and reforested.
  • No cutting is planned across Comfortably Numb with only a temporary access road crossing Jeff’s exit trail.  Cutting is limited to only one side of the trail, using a feathering technique to retain other trees beside the trail.
  • As part of the field planning for this project, 114 ha of old forest was identified for protection for the Comfortably Numb Trail and Wildlife values between the park boundary and the BC Hydro transmission line.

Wedge -02 Compartment Background Information

  • Wedge 02 was partially logged during the 1940-50’s Parkhurst era with logs moved to the Soo Valley Lumber mill beside the railway.  Pole cutting of cedar and white pine was done extensively throughout the area that is the Comfortably Numb Bike Trail.
  • The Wedge 02 project was initially planned and referred in the winter of 2013, with subsequent revisions made through 2015-16 to address an identified raptor nest site and for the process of old forest protection.
  • The small scale retention logging project will meet the partial retention visual quality objective set for the area and will be only visible from the very northern end of Green Lake.  (Partial Retention def. – easy to see, small to medium in scale and natural, not rectilinear or geometric in shape).  The blocks should actually result in a minimal visual impact in the low range of what is acceptable for the Partial Retention Visual Quality Objective.
  • Lil’wat Forestry LP started development in the fall of 2013, logging 4ha in October.
  • In 2015, a $125,000 bridge project was undertaken to repair storm damage from the previous fall.  In addition to providing access for forestry purposes, this access reconnects the Sea to Sky Trail and Green Lake recreation loop as well as providing access to the hydro line and cell tower.
  • The current logging project includes 6 openings ranging in size from 0.6 to 4.1 hectares.  (for reference, Lost Lake is 14 ha in size)
  • All access roads are constructed and the CCF has committed to fully decommissioning the road near the Comfortably Numb Trail in order to retain the “remoteness” feature.
  • Approximately 70 trees per hectare will be retained as single trees or small groups or patches.

Partnership

  • The Cheakamus Community Forest is a three-way equal partnership between the Squamish Nation, Lil’wat Nation and the Resort Municipality of Whistler.
  • The area of the CCF is shared territory between both the Squamish and Lil’wat Nations.
  • First Nations have expanded their capacity in forest management and operate successful businesses, including the CCF, within the Sea to Sky region.
  • Each First Nation partner provided additional logging quota at their own cost into the CCF Society partnership to expand the total area of the CCF tenure.  The additional quota allowed the CCF to be more than doubled in size so that more forested area could be managed by the CCF as opposed to the industrial forest managers that historically operated in the area.   If the forest was managed by anyone other than the CCF, the harvest could be up to 50,000m3.
  • The CCF management of the forest involves a reduction in harvesting of almost 60% from historical levels.
  • All annual projects are divided equally between the First Nation business arms, with Lil’wat Forestry Ventures LP representing the Lil’wat Nation and Sqomish Forestry LP representing the Squamish Nation.
  • The annual contribution of the CCF harvesting activities contributes upwards of $2,100,000 in direct economic activity into the Sea to Sky region.
  • The CCF Carbon Project, the first of its kind on crown land in British Columbia is contingent upon the terms and conditions of the Forest Tenure which includes the accounting of carbon pools both in the storage and recovery of wood products.
  • It should be noted that these are not solely Whistler or the Crown’s trees but are subject to pre-existing Aboriginal title and rights of which the ability to create economic opportunity is one right.
https://www.cheakamuscommunityforest.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/cheakamus_community_forest_web.jpg 441 663 admin /wp-content/uploads/2019/04/CCF-logo-colour-white2.png admin2017-03-09 16:11:342019-05-09 10:26:16Wedge Logging Spring 2017

February 1 Open House in Cheakamus Crossing

January 1, 2016/in News

Cheakamus Crossing and other Whistler residents invited to Cheakamus Community Forest open house on February 1, 2016

January 21, 2016: Whistler, B.C. – Cheakamus Crossing residents and other Whistler community members are invited to a Cheakamus Community Forest open house on Monday, February 1 from 3 to 6:30 p.m. in the Whistler Hostel meeting room (1035 Legacy Way in Cheakamus Crossing). Presentations will take place at 4 and 5:30 p.m. explaining the plans.

The focus of the meeting will be for Cheakamus Community Forest partners to share:

  • Proposed 2016 plans for the community forest, particularly in the Cheakamus Valley
  • Short-term (one to three-year) and long-term (four to 10-year) harvesting plans
  • Wildfire management (wildfire thinning) plans

“I encourage Whistler residents, and Cheakamus Crossing residents in particular, to attend this meeting to learn about the Cheakamus Community Forest and harvesting plans for this year and the coming years in the vicinity of your neighbourhood, and to bring any questions that they might have for the Community Forest partners,” said Mayor Nancy Wilhelm-Morden.

Harvesting plans were presented at an open house on November 25, are available on the Cheakamus Community Forest website in the Forest Map and Harvest Plans section.

The Cheakamus 16 block is included in harvesting plans for 2016. The block is located southwest of the quarry at Cheakamus Crossing approximately 1.4 km from the turn off to the Jane Lake Forest Service Road. Trucks will access this site from Highway 99 and then Cheakamus Lake Road. Harvesting in this unit was previously deferred until the long-term plan was developed that provides a complete picture of harvesting options in the valley.

Road building for the Cheakamus 16 block is expected to begin in March with harvesting taking place in April and May, and hauling from May to June. Over the longer term, some areas of the Cheakamus Valley will be harvested, similar to other parts of the community forest. The Cheakamus Valley will also be the site of wildfire fuel thinning projects like the Millar’s Pond project undertaken in 2015.

Some additional traffic is expected at times beginning this spring with trucks accessing Jane Lake Road, which may result in some noise and dust. Work is underway to mitigate impacts on Cheakamus Crossing residents and hikers and bikers, who use Jane Lake Road to access the Sea to Sky Trail and mountain bike trails, including “Trash” trail.

The open house will allow Cheakamus Crossing residents to learn about immediate and long-term plans, ask questions and share feedback with the community forest partners.

The Cheakamus Community Forest enables Whistler and its partners, the Lil’wat and Squamish First Nations, to have direct control over harvesting in the area around Whistler, and is one of over 50 community-managed forests in British Columbia. The Cheakamus Community Forest is managed by the partners for views, watershed protection, habitat, recreation and cultural values.

https://www.cheakamuscommunityforest.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/news_environment1-1-9e15811aa3c3ed16.jpg 800 1280 admin /wp-content/uploads/2019/04/CCF-logo-colour-white2.png admin2016-01-01 16:18:412019-03-23 13:16:44February 1 Open House in Cheakamus Crossing

Cheakamus 16 Harvesting starts early April

March 30, 2016/in News

UPDATE:

Forest harvesting in Cheakamus Valley complete as of June 30, 2016

Forest harvesting starting in Cheakamus Valley

March 30, 2016: Whistler, B.C. – Harvesting in the Cheakamus 16 block of the Cheakamus Community Forest (CCF) will take place this spring, and construction of a one-kilometre access road into the block will begin on Monday, April 4. The block is located southwest of Cheakamus Crossing approximately 2.7 km from the turn off to the gravel Jane Lakes Forest Service Road.

Trucks will access this site from Highway 99 at Function Junction by travelling on Cheakamus Lake Road to Legacy Way and then turning right on to the Jane Lake Road.

Timeline

The Cheakamus Community Forest’s subcontractor, Lil’wat Forestry Ventures LP, will begin construction of the access road on April 4. Road building will take approximately four to six weeks and will require some blasting. Blasting will comply with the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW)’s noise bylaw and will be restricted to the hours of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Log hauling will begin once the road is complete with five trucks making two trips per day (on weekdays only) for approximately 12 to 15 days in total.

Warning and safety signs for the public will be located along the road where driveways, trails and other access points intersect. The speed limit for logging trucks on the gravel road is 30 kilometres per hour.

In addition, Lil’wat Forestry Ventures LP received $250,000 from the BC-Canada Jobs Grant program and will conduct a job training program in the Cheakamus 16 block while the logging takes place.

Cheakamus Valley harvesting

The Cheakamus 16 block is expected to yield approximately 6,000 m3 of wood. There will be five openings ranging from 1.7 to 6.5 hectares with mixed tree ages that will be harvested with variable retention of trees to meet ecosystem-based management objectives.

Harvesting in this block was previously deferred until the long-term plan was developed that provides a complete picture of harvesting options in the valley and the entire CCF. Over the longer term, other areas of the Cheakamus Valley will be harvested, similar to of the rest of the community forest.

The Cheakamus Valley will also be the site of wildfire fuel thinning projects similar to the Millar’s Pond project completed in 2015.

An open house for Cheakamus Crossing residents took place on February 1 to discuss harvesting plans for the Cheakamus Valley, and overall 2016 harvesting plans for the Cheakamus Community Forest were presented at an open house in November 2015.

The Cheakamus Community Forest enables Whistler and its partners, the Lil’wat and Squamish Nations, to have direct control over harvesting in the area around Whistler, and is one of over 50 community-managed forests in British Columbia. The Cheakamus Community Forest is managed by the partners for views, watershed protection, habitat, recreation and cultural values.

Find more information at cheakamuscommunityforest.com

About the Cheakamus Community Forest

The Cheakamus Community Forest encompasses more than 33,000 hectares of land surrounding Whistler. It was established in April 2009 when the Lil’wat and Squamish First Nations and the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) jointly signed a 25-year tenure with the B.C. Ministry of Forests and Range. These three equal partners oversee the management and operation of the forest under the auspices of the Cheakamus Community Forest Society, an independent not-for-profit organization.

Community forests are different from other tenures because they are managed by the community, for the benefit of the community. The Cheakamus Community Forest actively works with local stakeholders to develop forest harvesting and management plans that benefit the larger community, such as protecting viewsheds, cultural assets, and important habitats.

https://www.cheakamuscommunityforest.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/390912628-electrical-saw-forest-worker-sawing-rhineland-palatinate.jpg 540 960 admin /wp-content/uploads/2019/04/CCF-logo-colour-white2.png admin2016-03-30 16:16:222019-03-23 12:59:07Cheakamus 16 Harvesting starts early April

What can we help you find?

Latest news

  • Cheakamus Community Forest Open House – October 26, 2022October 18, 2022 - 3:46 pm
  • CCF Open House SurveyMarch 7, 2022 - 9:29 am
  • Open House – Spring 2022February 10, 2022 - 4:04 pm

Recent Page Updates

  • Forest Stewardship Plan on Dec 20, 2022
  • Ecosystem-based Management Plan on Nov 8, 2022
  • Cheakamus Community Forest Harvesting Plans on Oct 26, 2022

CCF VISION

The Cheakamus Community Forest is among the best managed forests in British Columbia, being very inclusive of community values and focusing on the sustainability of all forest resources.

CCF MISSION

Our mission is to manage the community forest collaboratively and sustainably for the benefit of all community users.

QUICK LINKS

Road-based Access Management Plan
Resource Management Plan
What & Why
Harvesting Plans
FAQs

 

CCF Board of Directors’ Meetings
Wildfire Protection Strategy
Carbon Project
Annual Reports
Privacy Policy

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