Bragg Creek Harvest Plan

Spray Lake Sawmills was recently involved with a fairly lengthy and involved process to develop a harvest plan which incorporated a host of resource management objectives.  The primary objectives included the integration of the recreation values around the community of Bragg Creek, forest range management, incorporating wildfire mitigation strategies for Bragg Creek and sustainable forest management as part of Spray Lake Sawmills Forest Management Agreement Area.

In the development of a management plan which tries to strike a balance between a range of resource values and uses “compromise” is the order of the day.  We appreciate that not everyone is happy with every aspect of the plan.  However, now that the plan has been finalized and approved, Spray Lake Sawmills will be doing its best to honour the concerns which have been put forward.  We will strive to demonstrate that multiple use forest management is still possible.  We will do our utmost to build trust and confidence in our abilities to deliver a quality job.

More to follow as we move through the implementation phases of the harvest plan.

Atlas Road

One of Spray Lake Sawmills roads, commonly referred to as the Atlas Road, is at a juncture in its long history.  Over the years the road has evolved into a highly valued staging area for the regions recreational trail system.  At the same time the company’s need for the road for resource extraction is winding down.  The area has also been recognized for its high watershed and fisheries values.  As a consequence Spray Lake Sawmills has been working together with community groups in an effort to find a way to satisfy reclamation regulatory requirements and manage the recreational and environmental values at the same time.  While this is still a work in progress we are pleased to be able to advise that the most critical, failing, crossing on Smith Creek has now been reclaimed and has been replaced with a quad bridge for ongoing recreational use.  Spray Lake Sawmills would like to thank SWAT (Southwest Alberta Trails Group) for their generous support and assistance in working with the company to make this happen.

Before

After