Valemount Community Forest forecasts a summer of road building, new blocks, beetle traps and firing up the new mill

The Goat caught up with Valemount Community Forest manager Craig Pryor last week to talk about the community forest’s plans for the upcoming season.  Pryor says they are about 2/3rds done planting this season.  …They’ve planted spruce on Westridge, spruce, fir, cedar, pine on West Canoe, and spruce, cedar and fir on Swift Mountain and above town.  “We’re trying to mix it up more and more, just because it’s good for the forest, climate and that kind of stuff,” Pryor said.  …The Community Forest has 100 hectares of manual brushing to do (removing deciduous trees and other brush from planted stands) using local contractors….Pryor said they are holding back on any harvesting plans too far into the future to see what happens with the community forest’s new mill, which is nearing completion.