Sproule/Rixen 2024 BCTS Clearcuts

Map of BCTS 2024 clearcuts in Smallwood landscape unit (Sproule/Rixen watershed).

Bear witness to these 6 BCTS clearcuts in the already heavily logged Sproule & Rixen Creek community watershed. We've checked out 5 of the 6 blocks so far. SMA034 and SMA095 are the richest ecologically, although we haven't yet explored SMA086.

BCTS cutblock SMA095. There are not a lot of old growth trees here; it is mostly forest that is about 100 years old. SMA095 is a 100 acre (40.7 hectare), very wet, steep, north-facing clearcut in a community watershed. It should never be logged in this day and age.

This ridge is SMA034, slated to be logged in 2024-25. BCTS would not disclose when the additional new road would be blasted in to this cutblock.

Rare big old growth trees in BCTS cutblock SMA034.

There are dozens of fire-surviving old growth giants in cutblock SMA034. There is a wet area that goes vertically down through the middle of this cutblock where the big trees are. We use an app called Theodolite to track data about what will be lost.

BCTS has used the excuse of pine beetle, and now fir beetle, to log the Sproule & Rixen Creek area at an unsustainable rate. Bark beetles in coniferous trees are a normal part of a forest ecosystem. Their prevalence has increased due to climate change, but it is unjustifiable that clearcutting due to beetle kill helps anything except short term forest industry profits. SMA034 has many huge firs.

This is the road centerline for SMA034. It cuts through a lot of very rare forest for this area. BCTS agreed with us in a June 2024 meeting that they usually push roads through the biggest tree areas and ungulate winter range because that is usually where there is more soil, and it is flatter.

Click "+ Show More" under this pic for more on Sproule/Rixen Creek.

What does BCTS clearcutting look like?

This 2021 video shows just how bad BCTS (our government!) clearcuts where most people aren't looking.

We've been paying attention to what's happening in our forests for a long time. This same situation is repeated in thousands of BCTS locations around the province. BCTS has logged hundreds more hectares in this area since this video was taken.

SMA-095. Logging this cutblock makes no sense in this day and age.

SMA095 is about 1km long by about 500m wide. It is a very steep north face running along Sproule Creek about 250m above the creek. This forest is about the least likely type of forest to burn around here. It would slow down a forest fire started in one of the innumerable clearcuts around it. This is a great hike if it is still standing.