SLocan park 2025 BCTS Cutblocks
These four BCTS cutblocks are currently slated for auction by BCTS in November 2025. This is incredible forest, right beside a residential area, and very steep. But seemingly most importantly, this is most of the last of the prime winter range for elk in a 6.7 km long narrow corridor. SWLCS finally had a chance to walk blocks 1 and 2 on December 2 2024. What we found was amazing. Read on.
We found a 105 cm DBH ponderosa pine! This is likely the 27th biggest in BC according to the UBC big tree registry though we didn't know it at the time we found it. We were following fresh elk tracks from an old BCTS clearcut into block 2 when we were surprised by 3 big elk ahead of us. The led us right to this massive tree.
We have already submitted the data on this tree to the UBC Big Tree Registry and named the tree Lt. Col. James Stone, after the Canadian officer who, facing horrific odds, famously ordered his battalion: "No retreat, no surrender," and emerged victorious. The tree will need to be verified before it is official.
You can see other beautiful ponderosa pines in the background and get an idea for how
Here is a map specifically of block 2 showing the approximate location of the 105cm tree and other details. You can see here, elk will have no other place to go in this corridor.
Note that BCTS calls all four of these blocks "partial retention". Some trees will be left standing, but cutting methodologies are still considered clearcutting.
The was so much beautiful forest in both of these blocks. Block 2 was particularly epic. There was only evidence of past logging in a small corner in the the south east of the block. What is really sad about logging this forest, is there is lots of ponderosa pine, which have essentially no value except as pulp wood.
There was evidence of elk all through these blocks. And I mean everywhere! These block are obviously their home.
This is looking south from block 2 into the 10 year old pine plantation to the south. This is what it looked like to the north of block 2 also. Yuck.