The provincial government is looking for input from residents in the Kootenays on how logging companies handle their operations on private land and specifically concerning private land logging.
The Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development is currently conducting two public consultations with the aim to release a report in the fall.
“This is really important for people in the Kootenays to participate (in), because we have had some very distressing experiences with some of the private land logging”, says local MLA Michelle Mungall.
“I think government has a lot to learn from our experiences, so it is a great opportunity for people to share their views, have some input and for the government to develop better policies as a result”.
In recent months, several areas around Nelson, such as Cottonwood lake, have attracted attention due to the increase of large clear-cut areas.
The government is also opening up for local input on the Forest and Range Practices Act, which regulates on-the-ground forest and range activities on B.C.’s public forests and rangelands.
Links to the two public consultations can be found here and here.