Outdoor lovers oppose clearcut logging plan that would affect hiking trails near Bragg Creek
CBC
Beloved hiking trails near Bragg Creek, around 30 minutes west of Calgary, are at risk of being affected by a proposed clearcut logging project — and concerned outdoor enthusiasts are trying to stop it.
Spray Lake Sawmills, a Cochrane-based forest products company, is slated to harvest in a popular area of West Bragg Creek and Moose Mountain in 2026. The exact size of the harvest hasn't been determined, but the company is allowed to log around 800 hectares.
Finalized plans haven't been drafted or approved by the province yet, but a rough plan posted by the company shows the area impacted would include popular hiking and cycling trails like Fullerton Loop, Strange Brew and Race of Spades.
It has caused public outcry on social media, with hundreds of people advocating for a full stoppage or big changes to the plan. An online petition with over 9,000 signatures calls on the company to reconsider its plans.
"It's going to be quite intrusive to the area," said Shaun Peter, owner of Bragg Creek & Kananaskis Outdoor Recreation.
"We're quite concerned about what's going to happen with the trails and how this was allowed and how we move forward with that."
He says the trail networks in West Bragg Creek and Moose Mountain were built through hundreds of hours of volunteer labour and funded by public donations.
Now, under this proposed logging plan, trail users — many of whom travel to Alberta for the experience — would no longer have lush forest to hike, bike, snowshoe or ride through, he says.
"It's really an economic driver in the province. To have a major logging operation over top of that … it's kind of unfathomable," said Peter, who hoped the implementation of the Kananaskis Conservation Pass would help protect popular trail areas.
According to the Alberta Ministry of Forestry and Parks, the company's plans conform to provincial regulations. The company submitted a broader two-decade forest management plan to the province in January 2021, which was approved that May.
"As the proposed harvesting in the West Bragg Creek and Moose Mountain areas would not occur for several years, an annual operating plan has not been received and permission to harvest has not been granted," said spokesperson Leanne Niblock.
Ed Kulcsar, vice-president of woodlands for Spray Lake Sawmills, says he's aware of the public's concerns.
However, he says about 30 per cent of forest in southern Alberta is available for timber harvesting and is open to multiple use — including the area slated for logging.
"That's where we then have our public and stakeholder engagement processes to ensure that we integrate our activity with all those other multiple activities out there," said Kulcsar.
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