New BC closures for off-road use including snowmobiling.

Stompin Tom

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While the frustration is understandable for all parties, just know that winter logging is going to be a thing for many many years. With forest fire season getting so big now, one of the least hazardous times now is to log in the winter (to avoid starting a fire) and run your equipment for the govt during forest fire season. Other than increased snow plowing, winter logging has several benefits (less soil compaction and erosion, less damage to understory etc etc). From 1 study I read - "Winter-logged sites supported significantly higher numbers and percent cover of ecologically vulnerable native plant species as defined by independently established coefficients of conservatism. These differences between winter-logged and summer-logged sites suggest that winter logging may have fewer negative impacts than summer logging on vulnerable plant species and, in the long run, may help maintain plant biodiversity in managed forests of this region. "

The green movement has affected sledding, but its also pushed logging into a winter occupation, which means we need to co-exist with loggers. Everyone needs to understand this. Apart from the occasional wet summer, we will continue to see winter logging increase IMO. Companies don't want to carry huge liability insurance for logging in the summer, or be shut down at critical times due to a dry spell.
Right now I would say the its about 30% of yearly wood production moved in the summer, 70% in the winter. It is far more favorable conditions in the winter as you pointed out, and the tree huggers dont like to boycott in the cold and snow.
 

Modman

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Be careful what you try to chew off. Some pretty motivated folks on the logging side, dont put up with much schitt. Red and white plates on a bush road, woundn't want to be in your shoes if people get pissed off.
Please don't say red and whites because I see just as many locals doing dumb things. I don't personally know any loggers that would jeopardize their livelihood over something as trivial, they'll just put them in the ditch and keep going, they're on the clock so they ain't gonna waste any time to stop and have a chat. Unless someone is blocking the road or damaging their equipment and anyone even thinking about something like that is pretty fawkin stupid because lots of operations I know also use game cams now. Just know that if you think you're gonna do something stupid to someone's machines, there's a good chance you're gonna be on camera.....
 

Stompin Tom

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Unless someone is blocking the road or damaging their equipment and anyone even thinking about something like that is pretty fawkin stupid because lots of operations I know also use game cams now.
You mean just like what the dude that I responded to was threatening to do? My responce to the red and white plates was a hidden reference to game cams, watchmen and night shift. Pretty few unguarded sites these days.

Oh, and by the way, I am a logger, Im pretty familiar with what can and will happen in the bush.
 

Stompin Tom

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Please don't say red and whites because I see just as many locals doing dumb things. I don't personally know any loggers that would jeopardize their livelihood over something as trivial, they'll just put them in the ditch and keep going, they're on the clock so they ain't gonna waste any time to stop and have a chat. Unless someone is blocking the road or damaging their equipment and anyone even thinking about something like that is pretty fawkin stupid because lots of operations I know also use game cams now. Just know that if you think you're gonna do something stupid to someone's machines, there's a good chance you're gonna be on camera.....
and by the way, I see way more stupid things done by locals, but maybe thats just because there are more locals on the bush roads? Not sure, but BC does have its fair share of idiots, if they are causing problems, they usually get tuned in pretty quick.
 

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Guess they should have let the loggers put out the fire instead of watching it for 2 days till out of control? Then make a statement like A ok 2 weeks later declare a state of emergency. Ya can’t make up that kinda incompetence. Your NDP government is detarded.
NDPee, sure want to shut down everything. Just like they Shannon Phillips(NDPee) tried to shut down the southern foothills to motorized vehicles etc, when they were in power here in Alberta....
 

Stompin Tom

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Guess they should have let the loggers put out the fire instead of watching it for 2 days till out of control? Then make a statement like A ok 2 weeks later declare a state of emergency. Ya can’t make up that kinda incompetence. Your NDP government is detarded.
With as many as 700 fires burning at once in a province with dramatic geographic challenges, there is only so much manpower and resources available at any one time to fight fires. There is a priority list the people in charge work with. Public safety is #1. If a fire is burning very near a community they obviously get the first attention.

It is pretty easy to pick one fire out of the over 1600 wildfires in BC in 2021 and claim that it could have been handled better. If every resource and all manpower was available to fight only that fire, sure it maybe could have been out within 24 hours. But those in other areas were already going and needing every resource available. There could have been 20 Lytton's. In all there were 181 evacuation orders.

As for loggers, we are required by law to immediately shut down and attack any fire within our working area. There is no if, ands or buts. But what you dont take into consideration is once the fire hazard reaches a certain level, ie 4 days at extreme rating, we are required to park all equipment an leave the bush. Some rubber tired equipment may stay working, but any steel tracked equipment must be shut down. After 5 days of extreme, all equipment must be parked. What also must be taken into consideration is the majority of logging equipment is steel tracked and has a travel speed of about 3km per hour. That equipment is not mobile for fire response, it must be lowbedded. When you in an extreme fire hazzard the vast majority of lowbeds are already working for the Ministry of Forests.

I know lots of buys who are involved in forest fire fighting, and trust me, they work countless hours in extreme conditions in some of the most stressful evironments. You dont want to be the guy who has to be making the call as to which fire you can attack and which you have to let burn. You want to attack everyone ASAP, but you simple cant.

 

Stompin Tom

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Your provinces mentality is why BC burned last summer. Nothings changed expect the same for next summer. Everyone watch Horgan waste of skin totally mishandled the situation from start to go. Bunch of that chit last summer was arson. The crown will eventually ban all back country access in BC it’s the end game. Your seasonal restrictions for this yr will be turned into permanent closures next yr.
Glad to see your an expert on the situation sitting out their on your catbird seat.

One of the driest summers on record, 47 plus degree heat for weeks, almost no rain for 3 months. Horgan had nothing to do with it. The province was declared an emergency zone. There was no limit on the budget for fire fighting. I know, I was there, myself and my equipment was working. I have never supported NDP in my life, but I also know when to place blame and last summer was not Horgans fault.

Lighting strikes, arson, human caused, whatever the reason for the fires, every conceivable effort was made.

Its 6 am, your in charge, you get reports of 70 lightning strikes overnight and 30 are still burning. You already have 20 serious fires in your zone, where do you send your resources? To the fires burning near communities and high danger zones, or 14 km up a FSR with no humans or structures anywhere near?
 

team dirt

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It's curious to me how the most imperfect people demand perfection from others, I don't think you're going to get through to this guy Tom.

For the record OOCZZ the fire we are talking about which impacts Owlhead is the 2mile fire. I was there evacuating people the night it started and it was actioned immediately, no 2 day wait. If it had not been actioned that night Sicamous would have a lot bigger concerns than its sledding access.
This is the sicamous fire 10min after ignition. They hit it fast and hard and it still spread to what it did.
44E9F811-18F1-4C79-A39D-E9DB82889B8A.jpeg
38B95742-951E-4DD8-BDBD-502F71939265.jpeg


This is a view from the top of the gorge a few weeks ago. This fire started approximately where this picture was taken and ran downhill all the way to the lake. I don’t believe they had equipment on it till it got close to the cabins down there.
817D32AB-1EF4-4AB9-8914-4A4E57E8BCF6.jpeg

3154477E-F737-4417-A226-9CB08B416ECE.jpeg

41B29626-20DC-4D60-97C5-A97CA543A95F.jpeg


Fire crews did an amazing job this year with all that was going on. From what I can see it looks like the gorge is remaining open. It’s crazy how some areas it scorched the earth dead and 50’ away it barely browned the needles. Fire is crazy.
 
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tex78

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With as many as 700 fires burning at once in a province with dramatic geographic challenges, there is only so much manpower and resources available at any one time to fight fires. There is a priority list the people in charge work with. Public safety is #1. If a fire is burning very near a community they obviously get the first attention.

It is pretty easy to pick one fire out of the over 1600 wildfires in BC in 2021 and claim that it could have been handled better. If every resource and all manpower was available to fight only that fire, sure it maybe could have been out within 24 hours. But those in other areas were already going and needing every resource available. There could have been 20 Lytton's. In all there were 181 evacuation orders.

As for loggers, we are required by law to immediately shut down and attack any fire within our working area. There is no if, ands or buts. But what you dont take into consideration is once the fire hazard reaches a certain level, ie 4 days at extreme rating, we are required to park all equipment an leave the bush. Some rubber tired equipment may stay working, but any steel tracked equipment must be shut down. After 5 days of extreme, all equipment must be parked. What also must be taken into consideration is the majority of logging equipment is steel tracked and has a travel speed of about 3km per hour. That equipment is not mobile for fire response, it must be lowbedded. When you in an extreme fire hazzard the vast majority of lowbeds are already working for the Ministry of Forests.

I know lots of buys who are involved in forest fire fighting, and trust me, they work countless hours in extreme conditions in some of the most stressful evironments. You dont want to be the guy who has to be making the call as to which fire you can attack and which you have to let burn. You want to attack everyone ASAP, but you simple cant.

He has a point


The fire that took out montelake and then the west side road

When the fire started , there was loggers and farmers ready to put it out

The ndp retards , told them to stand down and they waited 3 days before finally going at it when the wind came up , and roared into Monte lake


Lack of help or not , this hole summer was a fawk up from the ndpee retards

There were company's with 12 inch pumps ready to help , and that feed supply is 4 times the governments idea that 4 inch pumps is what they wanted used


So one pump could have done 4 of there pumps , and would have 100% , helped with loss of homes and infrastructure
 

bobsledder

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It was disclosed at the District of Sicamous council meeting tonight that the two mile closure will shutdown Eagle Valley Snowmobile Club Owlhead access to the Alpine via the FSR they have been using. Snowmobiling injects five million dollars annually into the Sicamous local economy and council is sending a letter to the ministry requesting an exemption for the winter months to use the FSR to pass thru the fire zone. The area that passes thru the very tip of the north eastern flank of the zone is at about 14 Km and not an area any one ever goes off the main road. Common sense would keep the trail open but.....

If you want to support this send a request to the MLA for this area, Greg.Kyllo.MLA@leg.bc.ca
 

drew562

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You clowns protesting it is why embridge walked. Wasn’t arguing or looking to score any points. Really could give a fawk didn’t hit Sic last winter won’t this one either. Since Rene past place is going to chit fast.
I’m not sure René would’ve done well living through this bullch!t.
 

kimrick

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Boulder gonna be busy
Nope will not.

Apparantly goona be closed all winter due to old growth forest protesters camping on FSR access roads, bridge blocked.
Indigenous folks claim land rights to Boulder cabin also. Claiming its their land and have taken up residency.

Long live Frisby, sale and keystone....



Wink, Wink! LOL
And Go!
 

OOC ZigZag

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Nope will not.

Apparantly goona be closed all winter due to old growth forest protesters camping on FSR access roads, bridge blocked.
Indigenous folks claim land rights to Boulder cabin also. Claiming its their land and have taken up residency.

Long live Frisby, sale and keystone....



Wink, Wink! LOL
And Go!
Priceless. Vale an McBride be getting lions share this season.
 
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