Sunshine Coast Natural Resource District Project - Cranberry Lake

Dates: September 2024 to March 2025

Agency Responsible: Ministry of Forests

An operational fuel management treatment involving a thin-from-below approach will start this fall in several treatment units, amounting to 22.5 hectares, adjacent to the Cranberry Lake residential area. Please see attached map for location of treatment units. Removing excess fuel is expected to reduce overall wildfire occurrence, severity, and spread as well as allow better access for crews responding to any potential wildfires in this area.

A shaded fuel break will be developed as part of this treatment to reduce the risk of wildfire and improve forest resilience. The fuel break will provide an area that will reduce flame lengths and the rate of spread of wildfires approaching the community and surrounding properties. During the development of this fuel break, some dense small stemmed trees will be removed to reduce the overall fuel load in the forest, while retaining enough canopy to shade the ground and prevent future understorey overgrowth.

Crews will remove danger trees, heavy undergrowth, and prune lower branches of remaining trees up to 2 meters. If merchantable timber is produced during this process, it will be decked and sold to offset the costs of this treatment. In areas where high levels of remaining material is anticipated to occur, it will be chipped and removed off site. Remaining material in other areas will be placed in piles no larger than 2 meters tall and 3 meters wide, in locations that will not damage the remaining stand. These piles will be burnt in accordance with the Ministry of Environment's Open Burning Smoke Control Regulation, if conditions permit, this fall, winter, and/ or spring.

Smoke will be visible in the Cranberry Lake residential area when pile burning does occur.

This treatment is expected to mitigate the risk of wildfire to the Cranberry Lake community and provide a safer evacuation route for the public if necessary.

For more information about this project contact: Pierre Aubin, RPF, Land and Resource Coordinator (WRR) at the Sunshine Coast District office located at 7077 Duncan Street, Powell River BC Email: [email protected] or Telephone: 604-485-0700

BE PREPARED: REDUCE THE RISK OF WILDFIRE

Landscape-level fuel treatments play a crucial role in enhancing a neighborhood's wildfire resilience. In the event of a wildfire a treated forest produces less wind-driven embers that could potentially ignite homes. However, it's essential to recognize that this is just one aspect of the broader strategy. FireSmarting your home and yard is equally vital to decrease the risk posed by these embers. Achieving wildfire resilience in neighborhoods requires a shared responsibility. The combination of provincial fuel treatments and FireSmart practices applied to homes and properties within a neighborhood provides firefighters with the best opportunities to defend homes during emergency situations. By addressing both landscape-level fuel treatments and individual FireSmart measures, we collectively strengthen our community's ability to withstand and mitigate the impact of wildfires.

1. Explore valuable resources on www.FireSmartBC.ca, such as the FireSmart BC Landscape Guide and FireSmart Begins at Home Guide.

2. Schedule a Free¸ FireSmart Assessment with one of our Wildfire Mitigation Specialists, who take into account the unique characteristics of our coastal forests. You may also qualify for a $1000 rebate for applying some of the recommendation.

3.Collaborate with neighbors on a Neighborhood FireSmart project. Our FireSmart program extends support for collective efforts, including assistance with event coordination and debris disposal costs.

For further information, reach out to FireSmart Coordinator Marc Albert at [email protected] or (604)-414-7839.