Spray Lake Sawmills (SLS) hosted an open house May 7 to give Cochrane and area residents a peek into what the forestry company has in the works for the 2014-2015 harvesting season.
Those who attended the session, which ran from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Frank Wills Memorial Hall, could study a number of maps — both general and specific — that detail SLS’ logging plans for the coming years.
This season’s harvesting plans include cut blocks in areas such as the Ghost River and Atkinson Creek compartments (west of Cochrane), McLean Creek, Municipal District of Big Horn and Station Flats (located west of West Bragg Creek).
Gord Lehn, woodlands manager for SLS, said that the volume being harvested has increased from 2013-14.
For 2014 the company plans to harvest 475,000 cubic metres, while in 2013 they completed 430,000 cubic metres.
Harvesting in some areas — like the Ghost River compartment — will commence once the ground dries. Other projects need the ground to freeze before logging can begin.
In addition to harvesting, the sawmills’ field operations include developing roadways, roadway reclamation and monitoring, and reforestation.
The Cochrane leg of the open house was followed by a session in Crowsnest Pass on May 8.
The forestry company holds the public events each May.
